Welcome
The NewsHour has launched Patchwork Nation, a reporting project that aims to explore what is happening in the United States by examining different kinds of communities over time. The effort divides America's 3,141 counties into 12 community types based on certain demographic characteristics, such as income level, racial composition, employment and religion.
WHRO, in association with the Hampton Roads Partnership's regional blog SmartRegion.org, has joined the project to spotlight Hampton Roads, VA as a “Military Bastion.”
The HRP SmartRegion.org blog provides bloggers an opportunity to represent Hampton Roads to a global audience and to share what they are seeing, hearing and reading about the issues that impact their lives and the lives of those around them.
Visit the national Patchwork Nation website to find out more about your county of interest - or use the county finder in the right-hand column of this page.
Patchwork Nation visits Hampton Roads
The PBS NewsHour-Christian Science Monitor Patchwork Nation project leads visited Hampton Roads in April 2010. This is their story.
The Flavor of Tea Parties Around the U.S.
May 6, 2010: Listen to this PBS NewsHour Connect as they talk with three public media reporters, including WHRO’s Cathy Lewis, about what makes the tea parties in their communities tick. As Patchwork Nation has noted before, the composition of tea parties around the country varies by community type and is driven by a diverse set of issues that may – or may not – bring them together.
Related Local Programming from WHRO
 |
 |
 |
| The Ins & Outs of the Port of Virginia Aired 30 July 2010 Business may be a bit sluggish, but things are hopping at the Port of Virginia. We’re considering the present and the future of the Port and why its future could be decided as far away as the Panama Canal. Watch Now |
Special Program: Governor's Town Hall Aired 12 August, 2010 We bring you a recording of Monday night's scheduled town hall meeting at Old Dominion University held by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Listen Now |
Light Rail and the African American Community Aired 4 April 2010 According to the latest census, 70% of public transportation users in Hampton Roads are African American. We are a year away from The Tide transporting citizens around Norfolk. What impact will The Tide have on the African American community? What will be the economic benefits? And how have citizens fared through the construction process? Watch Now |
| ------------------------------------------------ Still On Track? An Update On "All Things Rail" Aired 28 May 2010 We’re one year away from Hampton Roads’ first light rail system to be “up and running.” Is construction still on track? What about the plans for conventional, higher-speed, and high-speed rail in the region? State and local transportation leaders bring us up to date. Watch Now |
------------------------------------------------ The State of Hampton Roads Aired 18 May 2010 The Brookings Institution released a report on the State of Metropolitan America last week. The Hampton Roads region, the nation's 35th largest metro area, was noted as having a slow growing, aging population with less education and diversity than the national average. We'll talk about the implications of the studies and the ways changing demographics are impacting the region. Listen Now |
------------------------------------------------ Black and Green Aired 15 March 2010 What role does the African-American community play in the "green movement"? What is sustainability? What new job opportunities are available? And how does one get started being "green"? Watch Now |
| ------------------------------------------------ Oil Spill, Mayor Petition, GOP Primary: A Round Table Aired 21 May 2010 • The Gulf Coast oil spill's impact on offshore drilling plans for Virginia • The petition to oust Portsmouth Mayor James Holley from office • The 2nd Congressional District Republican Primary Watch Now |
------------------------------------------------ |
------------------------------------------------ US Census 2010 Aired 15 January 2010 It's mandated in the Constitution - every ten years we must count the number and location of the people living within the US so that we can have fair and equitable representation in Congress. But it's more that that - the census numbers also determine the amount of state and federal funding communities will receive. Watch Now |
| ------------------------------------------------ More What Matters Programming |
------------------------------------------------ More HearSay Programming |
------------------------------------------------ More Another View Programming |
Other Resources
 |
 |
 |
 |
Patchwork Nation resources from the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer |
Patchwork Nation resources from The Christian Science Monitor |
 |
 View economic resources from PBS. |
Connect with Patchwork Nation and SmartRegion.org
SmartRegion.org on Facebook |
How Hampton Roads Fits Into Patchwork Nation
Hampton
Norfolk
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg
Characteristics of Military Bastions:
► Areas with high employment in the military or related
to the presence of the military
► Home to a large veteran population
► Above average number of evangelical Christians
► Likely Republican voters, though Democratic
President Obama gained ground in 2008
-----------------------------------------------------
Characteristics of Boom Towns:
► Fast-growing, changing and diversifying
► Once-thriving economies that are now falling on
hard times
► Home to relatively affluent communities
► Experiencing growth of minority populations
------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics of Evangelical Epicenters:
► Communities with a high proportion of evangelical
Christians
► Found mostly in small towns and suburbs
► Slightly older than the U.S. average
► Loyal Republican voters
------------------------------------------------------
Franklin
Southampton County
Surry County
York County
Characteristics of Minority Central:
► Located primarily in the South
► Home to large pockets of black residents but a
below average percentage of Hispanics and
Asians
► Counties with median household incomes below
national median though there is a large disparity in
income between black and white households
► Racial disparity mirrored in voting trends as well with
blacks voting Democratic and whites supporting
Republicans
------------------------------------------------------
Gloucester County
Isle of Wight County
Suffolk
Characteristics of Monied Burbs:
► Wealthier with a median household income of
$15,000 above the national county average
► Highly educated
► Less diverse than America as a whole
► Full of swing voters that voted Democratic in the
2008 presidential election
------------------------------------------------------
© 2012 WHRO. Read our Privacy Policy | Contact: info@whro.org | 757.889.9400 | 5200 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23508