What Kinds of Changes Would You Like to See in Richmond? (Hampton: sales, crime rates)

[richmondpics]

Have at it!

[CNI]

[SIZE=2]All of these changes require REGIONAL efforts (not just City of Richmond efforts)
1) Identification of a more nationally acceptable calling card then "former capital of the Confederacy"
2) Replace Confederate glorification with balanced Civil War focus emphasizing Union, Confederate, slave, Native American, etc. perspectives.
3) Better balance between recognition of the past and need for future progression (e.g., Boston, Philadelphia, etc.).
4) Be the 1st region in the state to eliminate the present separate city-county locality structure (if for no other reason than being seen as a larger "Richmond" on national rankings & being able to benefit from that fact). (NOTE: I recognize that this is a Virginia...not just Richmond...problem).
5) Establish a public transportation system (beyond GRTC if necessary) for the entire region (from Petersburg to Hanover) that focuses on linking employers and employees, service providers and service seekers no matter their location. Advantages: Increase employment opportunities for residents, larger work pool for employers, less regional dysfunction.
6) Pledge and actions to do all within reason to never let any part of the region's homicide and crime rates exceed those of comparably sized cities by more than X%. Equal outrage at the violent and senseless death of all the region's residents.
7) Pledge and actions to do all within reason to provide school options that meet all of the region's children's needs (not be happy with the current situation where there are some exceptional and some miserable schools)
8) Have one of the best venues for entertainment in Virginia (i.e., replace the Richmond Coliseum)
9) Have one of the best venues for AAA baseball in the nation (i.e, replace the Diamond)
10) Work with Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell to strengthen their view of themselves as part of the Richmond region and include them on regional development matters.
11) Incorporation of more younger leadership
12) Seek to establish systems that retains average to high performing talent (whether in sports or academics, grade school or college) within the region by providing opportunities - where possible - for this talent to advance in their chosen field within the region (no matter race, family ties, etc).
13) Work with Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg, NOVA, DC, and Maryland to establish a stronger Mid-Atlantic region (Not viewing anything to the North as evil...the civil War is over)
14) Greater willingness to compete on national level (not just with Southern states)
15) Commitment to investing more in things that will ensure jobs and better standard of living for next generation of Richmonders and investing less in divisive things that do not.
16) No longer resting on past laurels. Measuring Richmond's progress with a modern yardstick. If Richmond WAS a leader and great (to some) at one point in history then why accept being 2nd rate and mediocre now? Strive to compete and accomplish as much if not more than your peer cities.
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[CNI]

[SIZE=2]Forgot to mention...
17) More affordable housing (for mid to lower income residents) and more value for the housing dollar (less $250K fixer-uppers)
18) A regional zoo that we can be proud of (for starters, combine Chesterfield Zoo and Richmond's Maymount)
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[WanderVA]

I agree with all of the above. Here are some more mundane 'wants:'

1) More public art including statuary, murals, etc. I love how places like Charlottesville and Portland, OR showcase their public art. I know, I know, Monument Ave. but can we move away from the civil war?

2) More events for the young, single crowd. Most events seem to be geared towards families.

3) WELL-MAINTAINED CITY ROADS - road surfaces in RIC are absolutely terrible. Maintenance is spotty and oftentimes the repair work is worse than the problem they were fixing.

4) Bike lanes

5) A signature skyscraper - many cities have one signature building that identifies the skyline. While we have many signature buildings, we don't really have an interesting tall building (the Monroe building doesn't count - hideous)

6) Reform ABC laws - I know this is a state issue but I truly believe our archaic ABC laws (requiring food sales, percentage food/alcohol sales threshholds, etc.) discourage the entrepenuerial spirit.

7) Improve the entrance corridors to the city - especially the I-95 corridor. Pay attention to viewsheds - they has a major impact on non-residents' impressions of the city. The city has a plan for entrance corridors (they tried to implement one along the Boulevard) but implementation requires maintenance. The city fails on maintenance.

8) Convert certain alleys in the Fan to a linear park system and create more pocket parks, hidden parks and alley parks.

[Patsfan20]

Man, you guys are on target! Especially about the roads here, which are terrible. I'll check on Richmond in 10 years and see how much progress has been done. For some reason, I believe it'll be just as it is today.

[VA Yankee]

I like what everone has written, as a 9 year resident I would like to add some:

1) Accept the fact that some of us enjoy a suburban life
2) Realize that the Broad street shopping era is over. Even if Thalheimers/Miller & Rhodes were still downtown people do not "go to the city" to shop like they did 50 years ago.
3) Find a way to attract and keep a middle class.
4) Learn to manage the facilities and resource that you have. This desire to keep annexing adjoining areas will do nothing but drive more people away.
5) Continue to clean house. I never seen a goverment that was so corrupt in it's stewardship of the peoples trust and money.
6) Approach a problem with facts and figures not how it compares to "The War" or the Bible.

I could add more but I have to get back to work.

[VA Yankee]

5) A signature skyscraper - many cities have one signature building that identifies the skyline. While we have many signature buildings, we don't really have an interesting tall building (the Monroe building doesn't count - hideous)

One more thing, to this I agree but if the city could clear the view to the State Capital coming in from the river/south like in the old pictuers that would great. It really is like a beacon on the hill as you approach.

[smokinghot]

I agree with the above. By the way, MCV used to be a signature skyscraper at one time, grin.

Don't re-elect Douglas Wilder, sorry; and don't put him in a presidential administration either.

Have a younger city administration with more education and training.

Take the city council on a school bus ride (not a limo) around the city, particularly around I-95, and show them all the gang-tagging and ghetto areas that tourists see, as well as everyday citizens. Let them see reality, not sit in their offices.

Have a consulting management team made up of business leaders for the purpose of helping to draw in more business and making Richmond area a better place for commerce. It would benefit all businesses, employers and employees.

New utilities plans are seriously needed for the greater Richmond area - electrical, water, sewer and otherwise. The city is set up for more and more sinkholes, outages and major problems otherwise.

Richmond area needs a major recycling, "green" initiative.

There needs to be a major road directly to the airport off of the highway just like in other cities, that loops off into the airport's entrance.

More respect for the handicapped and disabled - buildings and otherwise. Richmond is the worst city I have seen in this respect, from the people and from the point of the buildings.

Do something with the I-64 conversion to I-95 at 5th street downtown! Who has ever seen a major interstate highway do this before? Oh wait, I have - San Antonio, TX, and they changed that.

[CNI]

Originally Posted by CNI

All of these changes require REGIONAL efforts (not just City of Richmond efforts)
8) Have one of the best venues for entertainment in Virginia (i.e., replace the Richmond Coliseum)
9) Have one of the best venues for AAA baseball in the nation (i.e, replace the Diamond)
11) Incorporation of more younger leadership
14) Greater willingness to compete on national level (not just with Southern states)
15) Commitment to investing more in things that will ensure jobs and better standard of living for next generation of Richmonders and investing less in divisive things that do not.
16) No longer resting on past laurels. Measuring Richmond's progress with a modern yardstick. If Richmond WAS a leader and great (to some) at one point in history then why accept being 2nd rate and mediocre now? Strive to compete and accomplish as much if not more than your peer cities.

Regarding the Richmond Braves...
Appears #9 is too late. But it still should be a priority.
How much did #11 (old leadership...from Mayor Wilder to Chesterfield's uneven support & old "us vs them" mentality...to the old guard of Richmond) contribute to the loss of the Braves?
If we don't start doing #14, #15, & #16 there will likely be more future losses.
Is it time to ring the alarm yet?

[8307c4]

It's not all the Government's job, here in Chesterfield we have ourselves a Top 50 US county yet I drive around looking at properties and what I see is just astonishing... I dare say something like 90% of the yards and lots in Chesterfield I wouldn't rate higher than average, and average is actually a good term when more than a good percent of those run from dismal to below average and what have you.

Now some folks might think average is fine, but let me fill in that average in our case consists of weed lots and dirt driveways, folks talk about mowing the lawn and I'm thinking WHAT lawn? So I don't think it's very pretty, not at all, not even close. That's from the landscaping side of things, take a look at some of the houses and we have ourselves siding that's been neglected lord only knows how long, porches that haven't seen paint since the day paint was invented, the list goes on.

So way I see things I think homeowners could start taking a little more responsibility, with the exception of the elite class-A lawns and what have you, an overall improvement in the looks of the general landscaping and structural improvements around here would make a BIG difference.