URbanStudies

Tara breifly explained UP Bethesda in class today and I wanted to expand on it a little bit from my experience.  Urban Partnership Bethesda (UP) was established in 1994 as a way to attract more people to a downtown area with easy access by metro.  Through marketing and large events such as “Taste of Bethesda,” in which restaurants open up on the patio for an all day taste testing event, and summer movie veiwings in the street, UP Bethesda has been extremely successful in bringing people towards the city.  With events like these, great food, metro access, and walking dsitance to another city center, it seems like paradise for a city lover.  It also has an entrance to the C&O canal which runs through  neighborhoods and along the Potomac River, to the heart of Washington, D.C.  in which bikers and runners are always working out.  I may be bias but you should all go to Bethesda and check it out!

Their website is: http://www.bethesda.org/eventscalendar/eventscalendar.htm

          The vote onHanover
County’s proposed land-use plan, which includes smart growth and conservation measures, was delayed till next week.  The plan drafted by private consultants has proved to be quite controversial, as was evident by the 900 people that showed up for the public hearing.  Most of the dissenters came from the Town of
Ashland who believe the plan will disrupt their existing land-use plan, especially in regard to increased traffic flow.  Other qualms had to do with a proposed business park, Interstate 95 interchange, and of course “sprawl”. 

Although my opinion comes without personally reading the plan, I believe these residents’ arguments are flawed.  I believe the new plan is a breakthrough in land-use planning that should be used in counties around
Virginia.  In many similar places (I-95 corridor), a plan like this would be destroyed by home builders and commercial land developers.  The plan utilizes a smart growth approach and certainly is not sprawl.      

Rather than sprawl the plan prescribes increased density in already suburban areas and the preservation of 70% of the county as rural for the NEXT 50 YEARS.  While
Ashland does increase its suburban service area in the plan by 15,000 acres, the county plans to place 40,000 acres under rural conservation protection.  Ashland residents complain that the increased density will increase traffic flow at one juncture and then worry over the loss of traffic flow if the I-95 interchange were to go in between
Ashland and Doswell.  I will attempt to do some more research on this plan and get back to ya’ll with next weeks vote results

            Last Wednesday, March 14th, I attended the Annual Downtown Development Forum.  This event is put on by Venture Richmond, an organization that works with business and community leaders as well as the City to promote
Richmond through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events.

            The event was truly inspiring and showed a lot of promise for
Richmond.  Many of our classes focus on the detrimental effects of certain types of development and how the vibrancy of downtown areas and cities is being lost to strip malls and cul-de-sacs.  In
Richmond it seems that developers, businesses, restaurateurs, and educators have full faith in the potential of downtown as a densely inhabited location where people eat, sleep, work, and play.  This is seen through the sheer amount of construction and investment going on in the city.  Fortunately, much of this development falls under the definition of smart growth and some of the latest trends in this type of development can be witnessed right here in Richmond.  I will summarize some of the most interesting projects for you here:

VCU –Virginia
Commonwealth
University currently has $1 billion of construction in progress.  They are renovating what used to be the First Baptist Church into a student commons, their new Nursing school opens this week, they are opening a 2^nd medical science research lab (they are currently receiving $210 million in research funding), the Critical Care Unit of MCV expansion is almost complete, work on the Monroe Park Campus (their new Engineering and Business school) will be complete this December, they are renovating their AdCenter.

            Some interesting land use points within the VCU construction are the construction of residential and parking units within their new schools, the inclusion of national chain restaurants within the newMonroe
Park campus, and a direct output of cars from a parking garage onto the expressway.

Virginia Performing Arts Foundation – is undertaking a $65 million expansion and renovation of theCarpenter
Center in a project called CenterStage.

The Virginia Capital Trail – An interesting project to connect the cities of Richmond, Jamestown, and
Williamsburg with a mixed-use trail has been started with the Governor’s approval.

Jackson Ward – The neighborhood of Jackson Ward is seeing growth with the construction of many new condos.  One building sought and received Historic Tax Credits for its construction because of its significance in the civil rights movement.  Jackson Ward is marketing itself as “
Richmond’s Oldest and Newest Cosmopolitan Neighborhood”.

Old Manchester District – Developers Robin Miller and Dan Gecker plan to develop the 30 acres they hold in the Old Manchester District with New Urbanist zoning principles in mind.

Plant Zero – Just across the

Infill Development – Many of the apartment, condominium, and restaurant projects under construction downtown are examples of infill development and are utilizing existing structures.  Notable building sites include:  Mother Hubbard’s Bakery, the Lucky Strike Building, Tobacco Row, and the Dill Factory. 

Green Building- One developer has 8 Eco-Flats underway on Brook Rd.  They are apartments geared towards students and are LEED certified.

MeadWestVaco – headquarters to be complete in ’09 at Foundry Park.

Federal Courts Building – complete in ‘08

Miller and Rhoads Hilton Hotel – parking issues are being resolved and construction should commence soon.

Capitol Renovations – should be complete in May

            All of this construction and development is great for the city.  However I do have one concern, of the units constructed an inordinate amount are high end/upper income level apartments.  Some developers are working on specifically student and work force affordable housing, but not enough.  Hopefully,
Richmond’s popularity will continue to grow and attract more employers so that all of these residential units will be bought and the downtown community will continue to be strengthened.  

In 2000, a group of art enthusiasts got together and created First Fridays Art Walk, an free event meant to showcase the rich artistic side of Richmond. The idea was modeled after a similar European tradition. Every “First Friday” of each month art galleries along the Historic Broad Street Corridor open up between the hours of 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm. These times allow those working 9-5 jobs to admire the works in Richmond’s galleries at a time that galleries are usually closed during. Not only is this event a way for Richmond to show off it’s culture, but it also acts a means of attracting tourists and stirring up economic activity on this downtown strip of Broad Street.

In its sixth season, the event has expanded to include live music from DJs to bands performing along the street. Over twenty galleries participate, attracting crowds of usually 5,000. Entry into all the galleries is completely free of charge.

First Friday was conceived by volunteer art supporters who, as a result of the event’s success, have formed an non-profit organization Curated Culture, Inc. Curated Culture’s mission statement is “to increase appreciation and awareness of arts and culture through the development of economic opportunities for artists and art facilities.” The event has been so succesful that Curated Culture has launched Second Saturday, meant to be a more “intimate” experience, with lectures, demonstration, activities, and more along the Historic Broad Street Corridor.

First Fridays are not limited to Richmond either. The idea has been adopted nationwide and acts as not only a means of promoting urban art galleries, but also as acts a means of battling urban decay. Often cities will host First Fridays in areas of cities that are perceived as unsafe, but by having this event that often attracts tens of thousands of people, it helps to improve the neighborhood’s image and create economic stimulation.

So if you are interested in seeing the artistic side of Richmond, head downtown to the Historic Broad Street Corridoron the First Friday of the month between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm, rain or shine.

Despite popular belief, activism does exist on the University of Richmond campus, and it is in fact becoming more and more prevalent. Many (at one time including myself) have written off the school as elitist and isolated from reality in its West End “bubble.” But if that were ever true, it seems that ‘the times, they are a changin.’ More and more students are investing their time in organizations that are far more than resume boosters; they are committing their time and efforts to causes that are influencing lasting changes on the Richmond and even national community. Considering the stereotypes of the typical UR students, I feel this is something very important for community folks to know. If you’re still not convinced, here are three prominent examples from this academic year alone:

Exhibit A: Stalking Legislation
Following the heartbreaking tragedy of Denora Hill, a UR student who in December 2005 was stalked and murdered by her boyfriend, three students in an on-campus feminist organization (WILL) teamed up w/ the victim’s mother to strengthen the penalties for stalking in Virginia. The students researched stalking laws in VA and found that they were far from adequate. This inspired them to develop policy recommendations, gather 2,000 petition signatures, and eventually testify before the 2007 General Assembly in support of a bill to strengthen VA’s stalking laws. Although the bill passed the House unamimously, it was killed in the Senate Finance Committee. The women are now strategizing their next actions against domestic violence.

Exhibit B: Protesting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Last fall approximately 20 UR students (and 5 VCU students) held a sit-in protest at the Willow Lawn military recruitment center in support of two students who were unable to enlist in the United States military becase they revealed their sexual orientation during their interviews with recruiters. Though mostly students, there were even several professors and others from the offices of the UR Chaplaincy and Multicultural Affairs in attendance. The peaceful demonstration was coordinated by two UR student activists, who were eventually arrested and convicted of trespassing.

Exhibit C: Disaster Relief trip to New Orleans
During last year’s spring break, a small group of UR students ventured down to a Katrina-shattered area of Mississippi to offer their hands in the relief effort. Their experience motivated them to form the Collegiate Disaster Relief Team and they have since develeped a strategic plan for helping UR students respond and provide relief to disaster victims. This year, the group received 100 applications from students hoping to spend their spring break providing relief to the destroyed communities of New Orleans who have seemingly been forgotten by the rest of the nation in the years following Katrina (for an excellent 1st hand account from one of our very own UrbanStudies bloggers, check out the post, “A Forgotten City”). 40 students were chosen to make the trip, which this year took a step further and allowed students to apply meaning to their work: they researched rebuilding plans and other Katrina-related documents and even met with New Orleans officials, clergy and activists.

The Times-Dispatch’s Michael Paul Williams recently wrote an exemplary article capturing the meaning of the students’ work, noting:

A few more public-service projects such as this, and students will shatter the school’s reputation as a hotbed of isolated affluence. From Richmond to the Gulf Coast to Guatemala, UR’s undergraduates are embracing activism.

There is actually alot more than just these 3 examples. I want to encourage my peers to add comments regarding other commendable actions, efforts, and initiatives that are making UR students into activists. It is up to us to change the inaccurate stereotypes, and that begins with awareness!

Mayor Wilder’s infamous “City of the Future” plan that was proposed in January of last year puts the renovation and modernization of school buildings within the City of Richmond extremely high on his list of  “to-do” items.  Just last week, however, a final plan was figured out that details exactly how long and how expensive the renovation of 15 city schools actually will be.

 StyleWeekly’s Scott Bass reported last week that “the city schools’ administration outlined a construction timetable that could begin in 2008 and be completed in 2014, costing a total of $419.5 million.” (http://styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=14015)  Last year the City Council approved a $180 million capital improvement plan, significantly less than the newly proposed price for Mayor Wilder’s vision.

 Wilder’s “City of the Future” plan has many goals to accomplish, other than just updating school buildings. Along with schools, the plan is supposed to include money for “restoring two of the city’s historic theaters, paving streets and laying sidewalks, building libraries and improving parks.” (http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1031784381256&c=MGArticle&cid=1149193548018&path=!news!localnews) Unfortunately money does not grow on trees.  Just last week the School Board and the mayor’s administration were trying to make plans for a second financial audit.  Wilder, however, has threatened to take public schools out of his “City of the Future” plan if the School Board doesn’t close underused and wasteful buildings.  He believes that too much money is wasted in the public school system.  As of last week, Wilder has kept true to his statement, and Bass reported that Wilder has “decided to withhold school funding.”

 There doesn’t seem to be any clear answer, at least not in the near future, for this budget issue.  Finally having a price estimate for this plan that is much higher than what the City Council approved last year is far from music to City Hall’s ears.  How much longer will the fighting continue while the public schools simultaneously suffer?

RT-D reports that leaders in Henrico County are seeking two new bus lines to the east of Richmond:

With county ridership growing, the Board of Supervisors agreed tentatively last week to spend about $470,000 in fiscal 2007-08 on the two routes for the GRTC Transit System.

Fairfield District Supervisor Frank J. Thornton pushed for the funding, saying the Laburnum route was not given enough time to succeed during a two-year trial that ended in 2004.

“I think the people in the eastern corridors deserve this, and I think Henrico County can do this,” he said.

The Laburnum Connector would run between the Willow Lawn area and Williamsburg Road near Airport Drive.

A shorter version operated from August 2002 to July 2004 as part of an effort to expand bus service in the Richmond suburbs. The supervisors canceled the route and two others after state and federal funding ran out and ridership failed to meet projections.

The Laburnum Connector peaked at about 2,100 one-way trips per month, or about 100 per day, officials said.

The other new route would serve the Central Gardens area south of Laburnum near Mechanicsville Turnpike. It would tie into routes serving the East End of Richmond.

One common (and cogent) complaint about suburbs is the degree to which their residents must depend on vehicles for access to basic services and markets. This is problematic, for it (further) restricts access to these communities to those with more financial resources and, on a larger scale, contributes to air pollution.

Not all county leaders are concerned about these problems, however. Said Brookland District Supervisor Richard W. Glover: “Maybe we ought to buy ‘em all a car.” Glover’s comments that the routes would not be “cost-effective” raise important implications. What exactly is Glover including in his calculations of costs? It appears that the routes’ impact on the county budget are all that Glover counts, but is this assumption warranted?

Surely the routes have benefits, and benefits beyond simple transportation. Reducing reliance on automobiles can play an important part in linking cities and suburbs, lessening smog, and fostering economic development. After all, growth is expected in the area the buses will serve and easy transportation to it could boost sales.

The overriding importance of Glover’s comments, I think, is in terms of how leaders calculate the costs and benefits of programs such as bus routes. These initiatives have value beyond the user fees they raise that leaders ought to consider.

At 36 years old the Richmond Coliseum is a source of debate for many local policy makers. Virginia Commonwealth President Eugene P. Trani is calling for City Officials to begin talking about the possibilities of replacingthe deteriorating coliseum. Trani acknowledged that the Coliseum has played host to some phenomenal acts — Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, and even Elvis Presley. In a recent Times article Trani shared his sentiments about the facility, “The Richmond area at some point is going to have to face the issue about the future of the Coliseum, or its successor. There are certain things that we can’t bid on.” The Coliseum is currently undergoing a $1 million refund to help revamp the ailing structure.

Propnents of the Coliseum cite that the $200 million necessary for a new facility is not needed and that regional policy makers see the issue as unessential.  Former Coliseum manager Larry Wilson remarked, ” It’s what you can afford and what are the goals of the community– those are the two questions you have to answer.” Is a new project even feasible and if it is, do people really want it?

Supporters for a new Coliseum see a state of the art modern facility as the perfect catalyst to help aid in Richmond’s bid for a professional sports team. While, others like Trani, see the Coliseum as an archaic outdated facility that simply does not serve the needs of the region.

Does the need for a new Coliseum even exist? With the opening of the Seigel Center at VCU in 1999 and the recent Convention Center renovation that tripled the exhibition space, many feel the need simply does not exist. “I’m not sure there’s a will or a way to do that with everything that’s on our plate,” Henrico County Manger Virgil R. Hazelett remarked about the possibility for constructing a replacement Coliseum. Many see the Coliseum as a continued source of wasted resources as the facility rarely makes money. Last year, the Coliseum lost nearly $370,000 and in 2005 the Coliseum recorded a $1.5 million deficit. The bottom line is the Coliseum is recording deficits and it does not compare to the newer venues in Virginia Beach and Charlottesville.

If regional officials do decide to demolish the existing Coliseum many feel that an important part of regional history will fall among the rubble, after all how many comparable venues can claim that Elvis once graced  stage.

View Related Times Dispatch Articles:

Rivals Crowding Out Coliseum

Coliseum Conundrum

In November 2005, following the violent death of Boo-man, a 19 year-old drug dealer who had two children and five on the way by five different women, Mark Holmberg wrote: 

“Forgive me for repeating myself, friends, but we have to tear down Richmond’s subsidized housing projects. They are concentration camps — concentrated poverty, concentrated illiteracy, concentrated substance abuse and sexual abuse, concentrated illegitimacy, concentrated teen and preteen pregnancy. Too often, the single women and girls who live there become a captive audience for drug dealers and other smooth operators in the ‘hood. Every other city with a working dome light is getting rid of these failed social experiments. But in Richmond, we’re busy bickering over a performing-arts center while whole neighborhoods and clusters of citizens are on fire. It’s an emergency situation” (http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768376434).

These are powerful words that have stirred a great deal of controversy. Can we disperse the poor by taking away the only homes they have? Or is it worth it in order to get rid of these dangerous, crime-ridden environments? The first idea is to create mixed income housing, in newly built subsidized residencies inside and outside of the city. Those that live in housing projects, however, have a generational tie to them and are reluctant to move. One of the greatest problems is that we tend to talk about the poor as a stereotyped group, rather than as individuals. One family may need to move away all together and another may just need a cleaner, safer environment.  It is impossible to tell what is best in each case, and we have to stop assuming that those in public housing are one unified group filled with criminals and worthless beings. Although some people may live up to these stereotypes, many are trying to change their lives but are hindered by these generalizations and lack of opportunity.

Furthermore, dispersing the poor among cities and suburbs creates both opportunities and challenges regarding public policy.  Breaking apart the concentration of poverty is beneficial while also presenting new problems for the poor and those they are put to live with. Many middle class people will strongly resist rearranging the income geography. Also, sending the poor to the suburbs creates transportation issues if they do not have cars. The poor needs to be located within the heart of Richmond, yet not so concentrated and segregated that crime and the current public housing situation emerges. The question of how we make this distinction without creating isolated and homogeneous residences is a difficult one. We must find a way to equally disperse the poor and middle class between the city and suburbs in a realistic and effective way.  

http://www.chpn.net/archives/2006/07/public_housing_1.php.

I recently attended the morning arraignments at the Richmond Criminal Court under Judge De Cheeks to get a look at the legal process of the city in action. In only an hour of sitting in the dimly lighted court room, I saw persons charged with rape, attempted murder, grand larceny, grand theft auto, possession of heroin, posession of cocaine with intent to sell, burgulary, posession of marijuana with intent to sell, trespassing, and a number of other charges. This was only in the West Wing Criminal Court, there is also a East Wing Criminal Court under Judge Hairston. The constant presentation of serious charge after serious charge, divided into two courtrooms, was testament to the high crime rate the Richmond faces.

Perhaps the most distrubing aspect of my visit was the overwhelmingly African American representation in the population of those charged with crimes, especially when the charges were serious. Nearly every indivudual charged with a serious felony was of African American dissent, and every time someone was lead into the courtroom from the side door in an orange jumpsuit (because those with serious offenses are kept seperate from those simply required to appear in court for minor offenses) was African American.

Is the African American community inherently more criminal? Clearly this is not the reason. I would attribute poverty to be the cause of such a high crime rate among African Americans in Richmond. Every person who came before Judge De Cheeks was asked if he or she had an income, and every person with the exception of some VCU students charged with various crimes, replied “no”. Richmond has a poverty problem, as I said in my previous blog “The Forgotten City”. It is no secret that poverty causes desperation which causes crime. Drugs come with poverty for they can act as a means of making money and means of escaping the pain of poverty. If Richmond, which is ranked as an equal with South American cities such San Paulo, Brazil that have high crime and drug problems; then it is need of change and that change needs to come in the for of programs to provide jobs and poverty relief. I specifically remember one woman who came before the judge and after telling the judge that she had no job, was asked if she received any aid. She told the judge, “I receive 60 dollars on the first of every month.” Can you get by on 60 dollars a month? I know I can barely make it by on 60 dollars a week and thats with the services of a school’s dining facilities to provide me with daily meals.