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Kindred

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Kindred

branding • community outreach • strategy + research

Market: Real Estate • Charrettes / Real Estate Vision Sessions

The City of Norfolk, Virginia launched one of its most ambitious redevelopment projects in 2018 with the transformation of Tidewater Gardens, a historically under-resourced neighborhood in downtown Norfolk. In partnership with Brinshore Development, Bank of America, and The Franklin Johnson Group, the initiative set out to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by creating a sustainable, mixed-income, mixed-use community with modern housing, green streetscapes, and enhanced amenities. More than a physical redesign, the project focused on rebuilding trust and confidence among residents with deep roots in Tidewater Gardens. By 2022, Brinshore and its partners engaged Yellow Duck Marketing to lead community engagement efforts, ensuring that residents’ voices, history, and aspirations were central to shaping the future identity of this transformative Norfolk redevelopment.

LOGO

Color Story

reimagining tidewater gardens

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUTREACH & RESEARCH

We began with open dialogue, surveys, one-on-one conversations, and public meetings, bridging the gap between residents, city officials, and developers. Hundreds of residents shared stories of resilience, family ties, and community pride. A consistent theme emerged: Tidewater Gardens was more than a place, it was a “village” where generations had supported one another through both triumphs and challenges.

From these insights, it became clear that the neighborhood’s next chapter required a name and identity that respected its past while looking forward with optimism. After months of conversations with residents, leaders, and housing officials, we presented several name options. The overwhelming choice was Kindred, a name that honored the love, respect, and enduring bonds of the community while symbolizing unity and a shared future.

BRANDING &  LOGO DESIGN

With the name in place, we developed a logo rooted in the community’s stories. The design is an abstract family tree, seen as though looking up through its branches. It symbolizes connection, growth, stability, and longevity; all qualities residents wanted reflected in their new neighborhood. Paired with a clean, modern sans-serif wordmark with subtle stylistic flairs, the logo achieves both warmth and versatility, ensuring its relevance for generations to come.

The master brand for Kindred was expanded into eight distinct block-level sub-brands, each with its own name and logo. While unique, each sub-brand connects back to the larger Kindred identity, creating a flexible yet cohesive system that celebrates both individuality and unity within the neighborhood.

LASTING IMPACT

The rebranding of Tidewater Gardens into Kindred represents more than a visual change. It reflects a thoughtful, inclusive process designed to ensure residents see themselves in the future of their neighborhood. Supported by public-private investment, the transformation is anchored by three key goals:

  • Empower families with housing choice and supportive services through People First.
  • Deconcentrate poverty by creating high-quality, mixed-income communities of choice.
  • Expand opportunity through strong educational partnerships with Norfolk schools and local institutions.

By grounding the new identity in residents’ stories and values, Kindred positions itself not just as a development project, but as a legacy of resilience and hope. A neighborhood where people of all incomes, ages, and backgrounds can live, learn, work, play, and thrive together.