2025 All-America City Finalist – Hampton, VA

Over 60% of Hampton, Virginia is water. With sea levels rising and storms intensifying, recurrent flooding has become the city’s defining resilience challenge. Surrounded on three sides by water and threaded with creeks and rivers, Hampton developed a bold, community-centered response: the “Living with Water” strategy. Guided by values of safety, equity, heritage, and innovation, this comprehensive plan integrates flood protection, environmental restoration, economic opportunity, and recreation. Signature projects include the WaterWalk trail, Big Bethel Blueway, and neighborhood resilience efforts.

But Hampton’s resilience goes beyond infrastructure—its civic capital is just as strong. “The Hampton Way” is a nationally recognized model of inclusive, sustained civic engagement. From budgeting and land use to climate and cultural planning, thousands of residents—from teens to older adults—are regularly engaged in shaping city priorities. Whether through neighborhood commissions, multilingual town halls, or digital outreach, Hampton’s co-creation ethos ensures that residents not only have a voice, but a real say.

Hampton Clean City Commission

In coastal cities like Hampton, Virginia, litter and pollution threaten not only land but also waterways, wildlife, and public health. The Hampton Clean City Commission is tackling this challenge with a blend of grassroots action and environmental education. Building on decades of impact, the commission partners with schools, civic groups, and environmental organizations to promote sustainability and resilience.

Through programs like School Pride in Action, teachers lead school-based recycling drives, oyster restoration projects, and hands-on science activities. Students build sculptures from plastic waste and raise oysters to help clean local waters—turning education into action. Community cleanups, pollinator gardens, rain barrel workshops, and the Adopt-a-Spot program engage thousands of residents in caring for their environment.

Clean City also combats food insecurity through three community gardens in walkable, lower-income neighborhoods. These gardens offer residents fresh produce, education, and a chance to connect. With a 78% gardener retention rate and growing waitlist, new sites are under consideration.

In 2023, over 8,800 volunteer hours resulted in 574 cleanups, 20 miles of restored shoreline, and widespread beautification. From creek cleanups by kayak to classroom oyster tanks, Hampton proves that real environmental change starts at the community level.

Phoebus Living Shoreline

The historic neighborhood of Phoebus in Hampton undertook an ambitious effort to restore a damaged waterfront park and address chronic flooding—centered entirely on community voice and leadership. The Phoebus Partnership, a joint business and civic association, collaborated with the American Flood Coalition to pilot a yearlong, equity-driven process. Their goal: to reimagine the park not just as a green space, but as a shared neighborhood asset shaped by the people who use it.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Partnership found creative and accessible ways to engage residents: pop-up events, surveys, yard signs, Facebook updates, even front-yard potluck cookouts that sparked casual but meaningful conversations. Residents shared what the park meant to them, how they wanted to use it, and what changes would make it more welcoming and resilient.

Residents shared what the park meant to them, how they wanted to use it, and what changes would make it more welcoming and resilient.

Their input guided a vision for restoring the park’s living shoreline and creating a more usable, inviting space. Volunteers, neighbors, and partner groups came together during two full-day work sessions to remove invasive plants and install native vegetation. The city supported the effort by adapting its Adopt-A-Spot program to allow long-term stewardship.

The project not only enhanced the shoreline and expanded access to green space, but it also strengthened local partnerships and built momentum for future projects. The Phoebus Partnership is now applying lessons learned to secure new funding, host events, and boost local pride.

Aberdeen Gardens Flooding Resilience

Aberdeen Gardens, a historic Black neighborhood in Hampton, Virginia, faces worsening flooding due to climate change, aging infrastructure, and its original low-lying location. Established in 1934 under the New Deal, it was the first resettlement community built by and for African Americans. Many of the original 158 brick homes remain, some still owned by descendants, but rising waters now threaten property, historical landmarks, and quality of life.

To address this, Wetlands Watch partnered with three civic associations, the city, and students from local universities to co-create the Aberdeen Gardens Community Resilience Action Plan. Developed through door-to-door outreach, neighborhood events, and community meetings, the plan reflects the voices of residents and outlines both infrastructure upgrades and grassroots solutions: stormwater improvements, creek restoration, tree planting, school programs, and a revived community garden.

In 2023, the city received a $20 million EPA grant to implement the plan. While the city leads, Wetlands Watch and a community steering committee remain at the center. For residents like 85-year-old Margaret Wilson, who runs the neighborhood museum, the project is more than flood mitigation—it’s about protecting heritage, preserving home, and ensuring a resilient future for generations to come.

Return to the complete list of the 2025 All-America City Award Finalists.