Navigating Preservation and Memorialization in Contested Spaces: A Case Study of the Richmond Community Hospital and the Legacy of Sarah Garland Boyd Jones

This plan develops a strategic framework to address the complexity of navigating preservation and memorialization in contested spaces, using the Richmond Community Hospital as a case study. Rooted in the legacy of Sarah Garland Boyd Jones, the first African American woman certified to practice medicine in Virginia, this plan examines the intersection of racial equity, cultural heritage, and land-use planning. The Richmond Community Hospital case study raises broader questions about how African American cultural heritage sites are preserved to confront erasure, ensure an accurate historical record, and promote historical literacy for current and future generations. Conducted with reflective practice, this analysis identifies challenges and opportunities within current planning and preservation efforts. In response, this plan advances a Preservation Accountability Framework with recommendations that center historical literacy, stakeholder accountability, and community engagement as essential elements of ethical urban planning practice in contested spaces and guide future preservation and memorialization efforts.