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City of Norfolk
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2 City Characteristics
Norfolk is an independent mid-size city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located at the core of
the Hampton Roads metropolitan area consisting of nine cities and seven countries. According to
the 2010 Census, Norfolk’s population totaled 242,803. Norfolk is Virginia’s second most
populous city and serves as the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of Hampton Roads.
Norfolk has the highest population density in the region of 1.4 million - 4,363 people per square
mile according to the 2010 Census - twice the population density of all other cities in the region.
This represents 17% of the population of Norfolk’s local urbanized area. With 191,212 jobs, and
3,533 jobs per square mile, Norfolk is the region’s employment center with the highest job
density in the region.
Aside from being the hub of the Hampton Roads region, Norfolk is an international city that
hosts globally and nationally important assets. Norfolk and the region have a unique
interdependency with the military. The region is home to the largest concentration of U.S.
defense facilities in the world, and Norfolk is the home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval
complex in the world, which supports the readiness of the Navy’s U.S. Atlantic fleet and drives
the economy and employment of Norfolk and the region. Nearly a quarter of the nation’s active-
duty military personnel are stationed in the region, particularly in Norfolk and a third of the U.S.
naval ship-building and repair capacity is housed there. The region is also home to the third-
largest commercial port on the East Coast that is projected to grow. Norfolk specifically hosts the
Port of Virginia’s Norfolk International Terminals, one of the city’s and the region’s most
significant economic assets, which makes Norfolk an integral node in national and global trade.
These two stalwart industries provide the foundation for the region’s economy. Department of
Defense spending supports over 40% of total regional employment. Over 8,000 service members
transition out of the military annually in the Hampton Roads region, providing the city with a
highly skilled labor force. In addition, the Port of Virginia handles over 81 million tons of cargo,
generates $60 billion of economic activity annually, and provides employment in port-related
industries for 343,000 Virginians. Norfolk’s population diversity also sets the city apart from the
region. While diversity is one of Norfolk’s most distinguishing attributes, it is also one of its
greatest challenges. Poverty levels are highly concentrated in some communities, and the
difference is even more significant by race and age. Relative to other cities in Hampton Roads,
Norfolk has the highest level of income inequality. More than half of Norfolk residents have low
to moderate incomes, with 19.2% living in poverty.
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City of Norfolk
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3 Other City Characteristics
a) Existing public transportation system.
Through Hampton Roads Transit, Norfolk supplies a robust network of public transportation
services, including local and express bus routes, para-transit, a ferry and light-rail (The Tide). The
Tide opened in 2011, and will be extended into Virginia Beach, attracting additional riders. An
EIS is about to begin for a transit extension to the Norfolk Naval Station. The City just opened a
$7 million Downtown Transit Center greatly enhancing system efficiency, connectivity to the
Tide, and access to downtown. All of these services are subsidized by the City (see Section 8).
b) Environment conducive to demonstrating proposed strategies
Norfolk is a national leader in the field of resilience and a fertile location for innovative solutions.
Due to its history of resilience, its demonstrated openness to innovations and ability to
transform when changing conditions require it, Norfolk was selected as one of the first resilient
cities in the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network by The Rockefeller Foundation. The two-year
100RC grant provides a wealth of resources, including funding for Norfolk's first (and world’s
third) Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) – an executive post supported by a cross-disciplinary team
reporting directly to the City Manager and Mayor, access to renowned international experts, and
membership in a cohort of global cities with similar challenges. Through 100RC, Norfolk and
other cities, such as London, Paris, and New York, are identifying, sharing, and institutionalizing
innovative resilience practices which inspire and support thousands of cities around the world.
100 Resilient Cities defines resilience as the ability of individuals, communities, institutions,
businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow, no matter the chronic stresses
or acute shocks they face. Norfolk defined the following resilience challenges through a
community engagement process—flooding and the long-term impact of sea level rise, and the
need to better connect vulnerable populations, among others. Surrounded by water with 144
miles of shoreline, low-lying and flat topography Norfolk’s among the nations’ most vulnerable
cities to coastal flooding. The city is experiencing the highest relative rate of sea level rise on the
East Coast, Norfolk and the region is second only to New Orleans as the largest population at risk
from sea level rise. As sea level continues to rise, severity of storm surge and extent of flooding
will continue to increase, posing significant challenge to residents’ mobility and mission
readiness of the U.S military forces and operation of water dependent industries.
Norfolk views these challenges as opportunities to transform in a more resilient way and show
the world how to thrive on the coast despite increasing risks. After two years of thorough
research, analysis and stakeholder engagement, Norfolk launched an integrated Resilience
Strategy to guide the city to be the successful coastal community of the future continuing its
business on the water in the environment of increased risk. The city intends to use the
opportunity to address environmental changes as a catalyst for diversifying the city’s economic
base and connecting individuals through new networks. In short, Norfolk believes that the