The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) is comprised of 17 localities: the Cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg; the Counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry, and York; and the Town of Smithfield. The HRPDC was formed in 1990 by the merger of the Southeastern Virginia Planning District Commission and the Peninsula Planning District Commission. Encompassing just over 3,571 square miles, the HRPDC is home to 1,751,852 people (Weldon Cooper Center, July 1, 2022). 

The Hampton Roads PDC (Planning District 23) prides itself on being a forum for local elected officials and chief administrators to deliberate and decide issues of regional importance. HRPDC provides the local governments and citizens of Hampton Roads credible and timely planning, research, and analysis on matters of mutual concern and offers strategies and support services to other public and private, local and regional agencies, all in an effort to improve the region's quality of life.

The HRPDC serves as a resource of technical expertise to its member local governments. It provides assistance on local and regional issues pertaining to economics; emergency management; environmental education; housing; planning and water resources. It coordinates regional legislative affairs and provides education and outreach programming as well. Additionally, the HRPDC has undertaken several key regional initiatives on behalf of its localities, including convening local elected officials, police chiefs, and mental health experts for roundtable events on violence; setting the stage for a region-wide housing assessment; and creating and supporting the installation of a regional fiber network, ensuring broadband access for underserved residents. The HRPDC staff also serve as support staff for the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO).

The current chair of the HRPDC is Mayor Douglas G. Pons (Williamsburg) and Robert Crum is the Executive Director. 

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Impact Awards program honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional economic development and improving quality of life. The 2023 projects, which will be recognized at NADO’s Annual Training Conference this week, have made significant impacts on their regions and demonstrate the diversity of services and program delivery provided by regional development organizations across the country. Congratulations to these 2023 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award winners from Virginia:

• New River Valley Regional Commission-New River Valley Public Health Task Force After Action Report
• PlanRVA-Preparedness Partnership Project with Richmond Flying Squirrels Baseball Team
• PlanRVA-PlanRVA Flood Aware: A Flood Risk Awareness Campaign in the Richmond Region
• PlanRVA-Pathways to the Future
• West Piedmont Planning District Commission-Boones Mill 2040, The Town’s Comprehensive Plan

New River Valley Regional Commission (NRVRC) Executive Director Kevin Byrd and Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission (CPPDC) Executive Director Scotty Wampler recently were named by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Board of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation. This is a reappointment for Byrd, and a new appointment for Wampler, who replaces LENOWISCO Executive Director Duane Miller on the Board. The Foundation works to encourage the economic development of Southwest Virginia through the expansion of cultural and natural heritage ventures and initiatives related to tourism and other asset-based enterprises.