2023
Planning for Resiliency in Hampton, Virginia
A Climate Adaptation Strategy Rooted in Equity, History, and Community Futures



With Grace Schleck and Olivia Jia
Instructor:  Kate Orff




Tools:  ArcGIS StoryMaps, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online,  Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Canva

Techniques:  Spatial overlay, Flood risk scenario modelling, Policy Mapping, Narrative Design

Keywords: Climate Resilience, Urban Climate Adaptation, Nature-Based Solutions, Community-Led Adaptation      

View our StoryMap

Hampton, Virginia is facing the increasing threat of sea level rise, tidal flooding, and intensifying storms. But the challenge isn’t just climate, it’s also legacies of disinvestment, housing segregation, and unequal infrastructure that make some neighborhoods more vulnerable than others.

This project explores how cities like Hampton can plan not just to adapt, but to transform by placing community memory, spatial justice, and equitable resilience at the center of climate adaptation.

Research Questions:

What does a just, place-based approach to climate resilience look like in practice?

Methodology:
This project used a combination of geospatial analysis, historical research, and policy review to build a layered picture of vulnerability and opportunity in Hampton:

  • Climate Risk Mapping: Using sea level rise projections and flood risk layers from NOAA and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, we mapped Hampton’s exposure to 1.5 ft and 3 ft sea level rise scenarios.

  • Social Vulnerability Overlay: Integrated CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index and U.S. Census indicators to identify at-risk populations.

  • Historical Contextualization: Overlaid old flood maps to examine how past planning decisions shaped present-day exposure.

  • Policy Review: Analyzed Hampton’s Resilient Hampton Plan to assess how well it aligns with equitable resilience goals and where it could go further.

      Reflection:

      This project positions climate resilience as not just a technical challenge, but a deeply social and historical one. It shows the value of an integrated approach that combines spatial data, lived experience, and historical memory in planning climate adaptation.

      Resilience planning must go beyond future projections; it must reckon with the past. This project reveals how cities like Hampton can build a just climate future by acknowledging historical harm, amplifying community voice, and designing adaptation rooted in equity. It’s not just about protecting the place, it’s about protecting the people who have long called it home.