Most Richmonders haven’t heard about it, but the City of Richmond is rewriting the rules that will determine what can be built, and where, for decades to come. It’s called the Zoning Code Refresh, and right now, it’s quietly moving through the public comment stage.
If that sounds boring, it isn’t. Zoning controls whether your neighborhood sees single-family homes or 10-story apartment towers, local businesses or national chains, open space or luxury condos. It’s one of the most powerful tools a city has to shape itself, and Richmond hasn’t done a full overhaul in decades.
The city has released draft zoning maps and opened an interactive website where residents can click on parcels and leave comments until September 28th.
Developers Are Showing Up, Residents Aren’t
Right now, the comment threads on Richmond’s zoning map are dominated by developers, real estate groups, and their allies. Many are pushing hard for taller, denser development, especially in historic neighborhoods like Church Hill, where proposals for 6-to-13 story buildings are circulating just outside of the officially protected blocks.
“Developers are obviously very aware of zoning changes, but there has been very little communication to residents about the opportunity to speak up,” one Richmond resident told RVA Mag. “I just wish more people knew this was happening.”
A sampling of public comments shows how the debate is playing out:
- Joseph Carlisle (July 24, 2025): “Nine Mile Road… should support taller, denser development. RX-4 or ideally RX-6 to take full advantage of pedestrian infrastructure investments.”
- Brandon Powell (Aug 14, 2025): “N 25th Street should be zoned MX-6 to align with Jefferson Street. Extending MX-6 to Broad would better connect mixed-use areas.”
- John Wilson (July 10, 2025): “Extend MX-3 along south side of Q Street… infill development should extend the mixed-use character to connect the block between 29th and 30th to the main corridor along 25th Street.”
But others raise concerns about infrastructure, environment, and scale:
- Joe Sokohl (July 10, 2025): “Where are the plans for increased services and safety? Until sewage, water, fire, and sanitation are coupled with this push to increase density, we’re not being honest.”
- Alejandro Andrade (Aug 14, 2025): “We should have the median of Monument Ave better utilized… In Ghent in Norfolk, they have a similar Avenue with a walkway and benches in the middle.”
- Leah Wilson (July 15, 2025): “Vacant land within 300′ of a highway should be zoned as industrial or open space, and then trees should be planted to shield the neighborhood.”
The Church Hill Flashpoint
Church Hill has always been one of Richmond’s most visible battlegrounds when it comes to preservation and growth. Protected historic blocks ensure some parts of the neighborhood will stay frozen in time, but the edges, just outside those districts, are in play.
That’s where developers are lobbying for mid-rise and high-rise buildings, arguing that Richmond needs more housing. On the other side, residents counter that infrastructure, water, sewer, fire protection, schools, can’t keep up, and that oversized projects could erase the character that makes the neighborhood livable in the first place.
It’s a classic Richmond fight: development versus preservation, growth versus identity.
Why This Matters for the Whole City
Even if you don’t live in Church Hill, this zoning refresh affects you. Every neighborhood from Southside to Northside, the Fan to Shockoe, Manchester to Brookland Park will see changes.
- Height & Density: Will your block stay two or three stories tall, or will taller buildings be allowed?
- Uses: Will new zoning bring more corner stores, breweries, or multifamily housing?
- Transit-Oriented Development: Along Broad Street and other corridors, will BRT and transit nodes spark walkable, mixed-use hubs, or just more parking decks?
- Equity & Displacement: Zoning decisions impact affordability, gentrification, and whether longtime residents get pushed out as development accelerates.
Richmond’s last few decades have been shaped by big development battles like Navy Hill, the fight over Shockoe Bottom, and the transformation of Manchester. Each time, a small group of insiders had a head start. The zoning refresh is bigger than all of those, because it rewrites the ground rules citywide.
Zoning Code Alphabet Soup: A Cheat Sheet
For those not fluent in zoning shorthand, here’s a quick breakdown of the codes you’ll see on the map:
Residential
- R-C: Manufactured home parks, small single-family detached homes, duplexes, accessory dwelling units.
- RD-A, RD-B, RD-C: Detached single-family homes, duplexes, accessory dwellings units.
- RA-A
,: Attached or detached single-family homes, duplexes, accessory dwellings units, small-scale commercial (up to 1,500 SF). - RA-B: Attached or detached single-family homes, duplexes,accessory dwellings units, small-scale multifamily (up to 6 units in a building), small-scale commercial (up to 1,500 SF).
- RA-C: Attached or detached single-family homes, duplexes, accessory dwellings units,small-scale multifamily (up to 12 units in a building), small-scale commercial (up to 1,500 SF).
Residential Mixed (RX)
Primarily housing but allows ground floor commercial
- RX-4: Up to 4 stories.
- RX-6: Up to 6 stories.
Mixed-Use (MX)
Blends housing, and commercial uses. Number = max height.
- MX-3: Up to 3 stories.
- MX-6: Up to 6 stories.
- MX-8: Up to 8 stories.
- MX-13: Up to 13 stories.
- MX-U: Unlimited height.
INDUSTRIAL MIXED-USE (IX)
Allows residential, commercial, light industrial or mixed-use buildings.
- IX-6: Up to 6 stories.
- IX-8: Up to 8 stories.
Commercial & Industrial
- CG: General commercial, auto-oriented uses, and residential.
- IL, IH: Light and heavy industrial.
INSTITUTIONAL & OPEN SPACE
- OS: Open Space (parks, trails, buffers).
- CEM: Cemeteries.
- INS: Institutional (schools, government, libraries, places of worship)
How to Get Involved
The good news: you don’t need to attend a marathon City Council meeting or wade through legal code to make your voice heard.
- Check the map: The city’s interactive map lets you see what’s proposed for your block.
Interactive Zoning Map - Leave a comment: Click a parcel, hit the “+” in the comment panel, and speak your piece.
- Learn more: The city’s official page explains the process and timeline.
Richmond Code Refresh Home
The Bigger Picture
Richmond is growing. Developers see profit, the city sees tax revenue, and residents see both opportunity and risk. There’s no question that zoning needs to be updated for the 21st century. The real question is whose voices shape the outcome.
If only developers weigh in, they’ll get what they want. If residents join the conversation, the city will have to balance growth with preservation, equity, and livability.
This is a once-in-a-generation rewrite of Richmond’s DNA. Don’t let it happen without you.
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