The City of Charlottesville is launching an equity-centered and trauma- informed Vision Planning process for the 10th & Page and Rose Hill neighborhoods. Both historically Black communities have a unique identity, history, set of challenges and opportunities, with deep legacies of resilience and cultural pride. This process is an evolution of the previously proposed Small Area Plan, restructured as a co-led visioning initiative that emphasizes transparency, shared power, and place-based justice.

Rooted in the Just Communities Framework, this work will actively center community voices, particularly those most impacted by past disinvestment and current development pressures. Through neighborhood-driven engagement, educational outreach, and cross-sector collaboration, this process will help shape a shared vision for the future while honoring the distinct identities and needs of each neighborhood.

Once approved by City Council, the Plan will become City policy and guide public and private investments in the area under the Comprehensive Plan. The relevant area generally includes the City-identified boundaries of the 10th & Page and Rose Hill neighborhoods.

Click here for more information about the planning process.

Though distinct, both neighborhoods are tied together by Preston Avenue, a key corridor that has seen increasing development activity and presents both shared challenges and opportunities for coordination.

10th & Page

The 10th and Page neighborhood is a historically Black community located just north of Charlottesville’s Downtown and adjacent to the University of Virginia. It has long been a center of cultural life, faith institutions, and Black homeownership. In recent years, the neighborhood has faced development pressures, student housing encroachment, and rising housing costs—challenges that have fueled community-led advocacy for stabilization, affordability, and neighborhood control. Despite limited engagement in past City-led planning efforts, residents have organized consistently to defend their community’s integrity and push for inclusive, transparent processes.

Rose Hill

Rose Hill, located west of 10th and Page and bordering Preston Avenue, is a predominantly residential neighborhood with a mix of housing types, including public housing, single-family homes, and small apartment complexes. It is home to long-standing Black families, legacy businesses, and institutions like Washington Park and Recreation Center. Like 10th & Page, Rose Hill has experienced uneven development and systemic underinvestment, prompting calls for more holistic, community-centered planning. Residents are interested in safety, infrastructure upgrades, affordable housing preservation, and maintaining neighborhood character.

Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) staff will serve as the Project Managers for this project and will ultimately create the final product. In creating it, they will consult with other City Departments and work collaboratively with the public. After engagement phases 1 (PREPARE), 2 (DISTRIBUTE), and 3 (REVIEW), the Plan will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council. The public can attend the briefing and hearing before Planning Commission and City Council to hear the discussion, and at the hearing they can contribute their opinions through the standard public hearing format. Affected stakeholders will be informed of final decisions at the meeting in-person, online, on the City’s website, through press releases, newsletters, and updates at regular community meetings.

• Equity in Process: Accessibility in format, outreach, and facilitation

• Representation in Leadership: Co-leadership with community stakeholders

• Historical Awareness: Acknowledgment of disinvestment and repair

• Transparency in Action: Clear timelines, updates, and shared responsibility

• Sustainability in Impact: Long-term strategies grounded in equity and accountability

Community: Focuses on social infrastructure, cultural heritage, and equitable quality of life

Development: Addresses land use, housing affordability, and sustainable growth patterns

Mobility: Examines transportation networks, pedestrian safety, and accessibility

Infrastructure: Covers public works, utilities, and community facilities