The American Planning Association (APA) announced today that Historic Hilton Village has been designated one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2009 by APA's Great Places in America program. APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value. Other 2009 Great Places in America designations in Virginia are the Virginia Beach Board Walk in Virginia Beach and Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg.

APA singled out Historic Hilton Village as an iconic example of timeless neighborhood planning concepts espoused by renowned British urban planner Sir Ebenezer Howard. Historic Hilton Village was the first of approximately 100 federally financed and constructed housing projects during World War I, yet still remains an exemplary national model for communities wanting to plan and build compact, pedestrian-friendly places.

“From its beginnings in 1918, Hilton Village has been a crown jewel in our community,” said Mayor Joe S. Frank. “The residents take tremendous pride in the uniqueness, character and historical integrity of their neighborhood and are focused on keeping Hilton Village very much the same as it was when originally planned and developed.”

“The timeless design of Hilton Village has made it one of the most well-known and distinct neighborhoods in Newport News,” stated Acting City Manager Neil A. Morgan. “As a walkable, pedestrian friendly community with tree-lined streets, Hilton Village appeals to a variety of homeowners and elements from its design can be seen in some of our newer mixed-use developments.”

Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes unique and authentic characteristics found in three essential components of all communities — streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces. APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live every day, places that are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. Such places are defined by many characteristics, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.

"Historic Hilton Village shows the lasting value created through well-thought-out and executed planning,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer, FAICP. "Because of its engaged citizens and support of city officials, the character and uniqueness of this English garden city-styled neighborhood remains intact,” he added.

Designed and planned in 1918, Historic Hilton Village exemplified Howard’s “garden city” concepts by separating residential, commercial and recreational uses from industrial ones. The plan for Hilton Village called for a self-contained, walkable community near the Newport News shipyard. With churches, elementary school, library, fire station, parks, public spaces and Warwick Boulevard as its commercial corridor, Historic Hilton Village reflected Howard’s garden-city planning ideas.

The neighborhood is compact with amenities and commercial areas within easy walking or bicycling distance. Warwick Boulevard includes an Art Deco performing arts theater, restaurants, an art gallery, and antique, jewelry, and gift shops. The commercial buildings are mostly row houses and duplexes that have commercial activities on the ground floors and residential units on the upper floors.

Citizens have been active so as to ensure the intent of the original plan continues to guide future growth and development. For instance, in the late 1960s residents raised objections to a proposal to narrow sidewalks on Warwick Boulevard to accommodate increased traffic. Because of citizen concerns and outcries, the proposal was withdrawn. In 1969 the city established a historic overlay district for the village, the same year the village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Perhaps the strongest endorsement of the neighborhood’s timeless plan came in 2000 when the Newport News city council approved the Port Warwick high-density, mixed-use development -- despite there being a city ordinance at the time prohibiting such developments. Cited as proof Port Warwick would succeed was the city’s own mixed-use development pioneer – Historic Hilton Village.

The Nine Other APA 2009 Great Neighborhoods Are:

Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena, CA, Faubourg Marigny, New Orleans, LA, The Haymarket, Lincoln, NE, Village of Kenmore, Kenmore, NY, Downtown Fargo, Fargo, ND, Ladd’s Addition, Portland, OR, Franklin Historic District, Franklin, TN, Montrose, Houston, TX, & Browne’s Addition, Spokane, WAFor more information about these neighborhoods, as well as lists of the 2009 APA 10 Great Streets and 10 Great Public Spaces, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces. This year's Great Places in America will be celebrated as part of APA's National Community Planning Month in October 2009; for more about the special month, visit www.planning.org/ncpm.

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