Questions?
Leighton Powell, Exec. Dir.
(804) 643-8439
email@scenicvirginia.org
Sheila Sheppard, Coordinator
(804) 225-1902
psg@psgrichmond.org
David Herring, Exec. Dir.
(804) 422-2148
dherring@richmondneighborhoods.org
Stewart Schwartz, Exec. Dir.
(202) 244-4408
stewart@smartergrowth.net
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Support Virginia's Capital City and
Richmond's Downtown Master Plan
Virginia’s capital city possesses a rare and striking combination of natural, historic, scenic, architectural and recreational resources that could be the envy of the Nation. There is America’s Founding River, the James, offering the only urban white water rapids in the country. Beautiful landmark architecture is available at every turn, and history is always within reach.
With so much to recommend it, though, Virginia’s capital has suffered from the lack of a cohesive vision to make Downtown an exciting, fun and easy place to live or visit. You can change that by voicing your support for the new vision of Richmond outlined in the City's draft Downtown Master Plan.
Let Richmond's elected officials know that all Virginians -- not just Richmonders -- care about our capital city and that you support preserving and enhancing the beauty and community character of Virginia's Downtown.
Below is a petition written by Scenic Virginia in support of the vision for Richmond detailed in the draft Downtown Master Plan. You can demonstrate your support for this new vision for Virginia’s capital city by entering your information into the form below. |
PETITION IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND'S
DRAFT DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN
We, the undersigned citizens of the City of Richmond and the Commonwealth of Virginia, believe in the hopeful yet realistic vision presented in the draft Downtown Master Plan, created by the citizens of Richmond. We support the plan’s Seven Foundations (Variety and Choice in Housing, The Traditional City, Green Qualities, The River, Urban Architecture, History, and Mixed-Income -- click here for additional information), and we specifically recommend inclusion of the following:
- Increased public access to the James River through the creation of new riverfront parks on Mayo Island, Chappel Island, and the parcels east of Intermediate Terminal to Rockett’s Landing; as well as the preservation of the historic viewshed from Libby Hill Park in Church Hill that is the basis for the naming of Richmond.
- Creation of a state-level Architect of the Commonwealth to offer expertise to the Governor, his Cabinet and Agencies, and Virginia’s legislators concerning best practices for the future uses of state-owned buildings and property.
- Creation of safe, inviting human-scale streetscapes to encourage walking and bicycling; conversion of Richmond’s unwieldy system of one-way streets back to two-way; additional on-street parking; replacing unsightly surface parking lots with parking decks featuring ground-floor retail on the exterior; and improving signage to better serve residents and tourists.
- Adding Form-Based Code -- zoning that focuses on the relationship of buildings to each other and the street -- to the City’s Zoning Ordinance to reflect the design of Richmond’s historic districts, streets, and buildings.
- Developing a model for a trolley or Downtown circulator to connect our historic Downtown neighborhoods, with a plan to expand beyond Downtown in the future.
We urge our public officials to support this vision for a beautiful, vibrant and historic capital city -- “Virginia’s Downtown.”
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Note: Your information will be used SOLELY to voice your support for the Master Plan, as though you had signed a hard-copy petition.
When you click on Submit, your information will come to Scenic Virginia in the form of an email that we will print and deliver with signed hard-copy petitions to the City of Richmond's City Council and Planning Commission.
Your information will NOT be shared with other organizations. |
Online Petition
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