Special Areas

Maintaining, Vitalizing and Developing a “Community for a Lifetime”

Virginia Beach is a unique city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront.  It is also home to several state parks, several long-protected beach areas, three military bases, a number of large corporations, universities, historic sites, and an agricultural community.  The City’s efforts to become a “Community for a Lifetime” and the consistency of change have brought forward previous and current Comprehensive Plan recommendations to:

• establish special areas to focus growth,
• protect and enhance neighborhoods,
• promote transit-oriented development,
• protect rural areas, and
• establish art and cultural districts.

 The Consistency of Change

Change is constant.  We know the City of Virginia Beach is changing just as it has been changing since the first Comprehensive Plan.  This Plan seeks to position the City of Virginia Beach in a way that will provide opportunities for growth while enhancing the City as a place to live, work, play and learn.  The City has identified the following five categories of 'Special Areas' as a means to focus growth, protect our uniqueness and ensure a successful future for Virginia Beach:

1. Urban Area (includes 8 Strategic Growth Areas)
2. Special Economic Growth Areas
3. Suburban Area (includes 8 Suburban Focus Areas)
4. The Princess Anne Commons & Transition Area
5. Rural Area