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Sustainability

The Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

City residents were encouraged to attend the Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force community forum to discuss and prioritize recommendations concerning access to quality, affordable, healthy fresh foods in the city of Richmond. The forum was held in April at the Carillon.

Residents learned about the action recommendations being developed by the Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force and discussed the impact that the lack of access to healthy foods has in the community. The action plan developed as a result of the forum will address identified needs to ensure that the city has a healthy and accessible environment for all.

The Food Policy Task Force is part of Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ Healthy Richmond Campaign created toimprove the health of city residents through addressing the disparities affecting access to health care and health resources in the city. The RVA Shoppers’ Shuttle that began in February 2012 is one of the preliminary recommendations made by the task force.

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Community Garden Program Converts Unused Parcels of Land

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

Through the support of the Green Richmond Initiative, the city has launched the Richmond Grows Garden program. The program encourages the use of city-owned parcels of land for the development of community gardens throughout Richmond.

Community gardens provide a wealth of benefits when operated efficiently, including environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, cohesiveness in communities and increased social equity among other immeasurable assets.

The City of Richmond defines "community gardens" as a portion of city-owned property used to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, wood products and native or ornamental plants for non-commercial purposes, i.e. where there is no exchange of goods for monetary value. A "commercial garden" is defined similarly, but with products grown for sale.

Community garden parcels are available through an online application process, while commercial garden parcels are available through a lease negotiation with the city’s Department of Economic and Community Development. They require approval from City Council.

More information on the benefits of community gardens and the application process for obtaining a parcel of land can be found on the city's community garden webpage.

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Sustainability

Fix a Leak Week - March 12 -18, 2012

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks?

Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That's why the EPA's WaterSense program reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week.

Mayor Dwight Jones encourages all residents to join with the city of Richmond in observing Fix-a-Leak Week, March 12–18, 2012.

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Sustainability

The Planters of 14th and Main

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012

They've been called bunkers, trenches, and a number of other colorful names, but the mysterious sidewalk objects of 14th and Main streets are just another way the city is turning green. These are bioretention planters and are essential in low-impact sustainable design.

Bioretention planters are designed to filter pollutants from rainwater runoff as well as provide ample room from greenery in cityscapes.

As rainwater flows through the sidewalks and city streets it picks up a variety of contaminants along the way, which can cause harm to the James River system. These bioretention planters are designed to reduce the amount of pollutants from rainwater runoff through a sustainable filtration system.

These planters didn't look empty for long. During the spring and summer of 2012, a variety of plant life filled them to the brim, which not only added aesthetics and filtration, but kept pedestrians from a misplaced step!

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Sustainability

RVA Green Community Workshop A Success!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012

More than 75 participants gathered for the RVA Green Community Workshop, Feb. 16, 2012. Collectively the concerned citizens built action steps towards finalizing the RVAGreen Sustainability Plan.

The productive evening began with an empowering speech from Mayor Dwight Jones welcoming and thanking attendees for being a part of the citywide green initiatives. The City provided an overview of the sustainability planning process and the draft framework to the group.

According to attendees, the most popular and productive segment of the night was the small group discussions. Each team spent about 40 minutes in facilitated dialogue reviewing the framework initiatives and having conversations about what roles they could play in the implementation of these ideas. There was equal enthusiasm from the members when asked which of the five focus areas -- Economic Development, Energy, Environment, Open Space and Land Use, or Transportation -- they were most excited about implementing. It proved the diversity of the group and the need for Richmond to have a comprehensive sustainability plan.

More information from the workshop is available here. For more information about Richmond’s sustainability initiatives or to be a part of the process, email RVAGreen.

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