Richmond’s “Code Refresh”: Zoning Rewrite Puts Density, Schools, and Open Space on the Table

Richmond, VA is mid-stream in its biggest zoning code rewrite in a generation. To keep the public inside the tent, Planning Director Kevin J. Vonck took to Reddit for a two-and-a-half-hour AMA, walking through the draft map, what’s changing, and where the friction lives. The topline: enable more homes (smaller lots, more units, ADUs), protect open space, and align with school capacity—without flattening historic character. This is the work of modern zoning politics: trade-offs in the open. Vonck stressed the June zoning map is still a draft, and that Richmond aims for incremental change that threads density with neighborhood fabric. A new Open Space district targets parks and green areas to cool hot neighborhoods and secure everyday nature close to home. The AMA also surfaced an awkward truth in post-parking-minimum America: developers still build parking because banks require it, even when the code doesn’t—policy meets finance, and finance often wins. ZOP lens: This is what “reform with receipts” looks like—answering questions live, citing data, and inviting edits. The payoff could be large: more housing options across more neighborhoods, climate-aligned green protections, and school enrollment forecasts baked into land-use choices. But there’s risk in the middle: if the final code pulls punches, supply stays tight, prices stay high, and reform fatigue sets in.