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Our Regional Community

Regional Community Site Map Richmond Charles City Chesterfield Goochland Hanover Henrico New Kent Powhatan Ashland

Local & Regional Citizen Groups

Resources

We are dedicated to providing citizens and elected officials with the tools they need to be effective advocates for smarter growth.

PSG's Blueprint for a Better Region Presentation provides an overview of what citizens need to know to learn more and take action.

PSG Brochure and Program Outline

Smart Growth Checklist


PSG's Smart Growth Checklist is a tool created by Jane Koontz to review and evaluate proposed and existing developments. View.

Presentations

Maps

Local Comprehensive Plans


A Comprehensive Plan is the guiding document for future growth and development decisions. The Code of Virginia requires that every five years jurisdictions review the Comprehensive Plan, the community vision for land use, transportation, and open space planning. State code 15.2-2223 outlines the Plan's purpose: for “guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory.”Citizens need to know their local comprehensive plan and participate in the public process that shapes it - and then once it is adopted, monitor implementation and zoning decisions.

The Plan is produced by county staff, recommended by the county’s Planning commission, and adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The Plan is implemented through the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance and other regulatory tools such as the Water Quality Plan.

PSG encourages citizens to know your local comprehensive plan and participate in the public process that shapes it. Be sure it represents your vision for future land use, transportation and resource use, and then monitor implementation and zoning decisions. Below are links to Richmond region Comprehensive Plans, and their status:

Locality

Status April 2010

 

 

Charles City

Adopted 09

Chesterfield

Under revision

Hanover
Ashland

Adopted 07
Under revision

Henrico

Adopted 09

Goochland

Adopted 09

New Kent

Under revision 

Powhatan

Under revision

Richmond Downtown Master Plan

Adopted 08

What citizens can do during the Comprehensive Plan revision process:

  • Review draft plans carefully. Know how the Land Use and Major Thoroughfare Plans affect the resources you care about.
  • Contact your elected representative and local planners with questions, concerns, and ideas.
  • Connect with and energize fellow citizens.
  • Participate in public meetings about the Comprehensive Plan.
  • Reach out to PSG for assistance and support.

Regional Plans, Projects, and Inventories

 

Information in this section obtained from the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission (RRPDC) and GRTC.

  • The Richmond Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. In 2004, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) funded a study for $700,000 to create a detailed plan to enhance bicycle and pedestrian options in the Richmond region. The Metropolitan Planning Organization accepted the Plan as a study, leaving it up to localities to incorporate the plan into their Comprehensive Plans and implement it. New Kent County has done both. In 2009, the MPO revised its work program to begin work on updating the 2004 bike/ped plan.  This work includes identifying opportunities for implementation of plan recommendations, projects and programs; to develop a database of planned, signed and designated bicycle routes and facilities; and to provide staff assistance to the Capital Region Greenway Group, an ad-hoc group dedicated to promotion and developing greenways in the Region. PSG is part of this group. Learn more and view the plan.
  • Greenway Planning. In providing assistance to the Capital Region Greenway Group, RRPDC staff has created concept maps of many proposed greenways in the greater Richmond area.  In particular, staff has worked the the City of Richmond Parks and Recreation Department and other advocacy groups to provide maps of a network of greenways that could link to the James River Park system and the Virginia Capital Trail from points all over the City. As a first project of the Capital Region Greenway Group, staff and involved organizations and citizens are currently working with Richmond City Councilman Doug Conner to created a greenway from an abandoned CSX rail corridor on the City's Southside.  This James River Branch Rail-to-Trail project has the potential to transform the community surrounding it, and has received the wide interest and support from citizens and City staff. PSG was awarded a grant in 2009 from the Rails to Trails Conservancy to conduct outreach to promote this project. Learn more.
  • Richmond Region Parks Inventory. An inventory of the Richmond Region's parks was undertaken as the FY09 Technical Assistance Project for Hanover County.  This inventory includes both public parks (local, state and federal) and schools in the Richmond Region as of Spring 2009.
  • Phase III of the Region’s Impervious Surface Inventory. The RRPDC has completed Phase III of the Richmond Regional Impervious Surface Inventory by using the latest aerial imagery to digitize building footprints erected between 2002 and 2007 (map). The inventory is part of the Coastal Grant project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.
  • RAMPO Regional Transportation Priority Projects List. The MPO has adopted a Regional Transportation Priority Projects list, which will be submitted to the Commonwealth Transportation Board and Virginia Department of Transportation to assist them in allocating transportation resources. The list is a valuable asset for expressing regional support when seeking to obtain federal, state and other sources of funding.
  • Richmond Region Green Infrastructure. The Richmond Region Green Infrastructure Project has published a report written by the Green Infrastructure Center in cooperation with the RRPDC and the Capital Region Land Conservancy. The report explains the green infrastructure concept, identifies green infrastructure assets in the region as well as opportunities for connection and expansion of these assets. 
    Green Infrastructure reports:
         Richmond-Crater Green Infrastructure Project
         New Kent County Green Infrastructure Project  

Reports

  • Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future of the Greater Richmond Region. Trip Pollard, Southern Environmental Law Center, April 2010, released at the 2010 Affordable Housing Awareness Week. The Richmond region has had the fastest rate of land development and the highest rate of driving in Virginia. This report examines major trends in the region that are spurring a new approach to growth, as well as the multiple benefits of mixed use, walkable, sustainable communities. It also highlights policy reforms that can advance more sustainable growth in the region.
  • Region Forward: A Comprehensive Guide for Regional Planning and Measuring Progress in the 21st Century. Region Forward was prepared by the Greater Washington 2050 Coalition, approved by the COG Board of Directors on January 13, 2010, and published on January 28, 2010. This report provides a valuable framework for the Richmond region to emulate.
  • Putting the Future Together 2008, by James Crupi, for the Greater Richmond Chamber.
    16 years ago, local leaders asked a Texas consultant, James Crupi, to assess the Richmond region's strengths and shortcomings. In 2008, the Greater Richmond Chamber asked Crupi to return and reassess the region. The report calls for bold, visionary leadership with focused strategic direction and the collective will and action of leaders and citizens alike to make our vision of a better Richmond a reality. More from www.urbanplanet.org.
  • New Directions: Land Use, Transportation, Climate Change in Virginia. Southern Environmental Law Center, 2007
    Virginia and the Richmond region is being rapidly transformed. Our abundant natural resources, beautiful landscapes, bountiful farmland, vibrant communities and wealth of historic and cultural resources provide an outstanding quality of life - all of which have helped drive the tremendous growth that is reshaping the Commonwealth, and not all for the good. Sprawling development and asphalt-centered transportation policies are steering Virginia toward dire consequences - yet it's not too late to change course. In these reports, SELC's Trip Pollard examines multiple trends and offers a host of steps that can be taken to address the problems.
  • Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, Urban Land Institute, 2007.
    This seminal book documents how key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. The research team concludes that less auto-dependent development is key to mitigating climate change.
  • Connections and Choices: Affordable Housing and Smarter Growth in the Greater Richmond Region. Southern Environmental Law Center and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, 2007.
    For better or for worse, the Richmond region is rapidly expanding. This report explores the enormous economic, health, environmental, and social impacts of the housing, land development, and transportation trends transforming the Greater Richmond Area. Written by SELC’s Trip Pollard and the Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Frances Stanley, the report presents a fresh look at growth trends and impacts while providing alternatives to these crucial issues.
  • Where Are We Growing? Land Use and Transportation in the Greater Richmond Region. Southern Environmental Law Center, 2003
    The region's rapid growth has brought many benefits, including higher incomes, more jobs, and low overall unemployment. Too much of the region's growth, however, has been haphazard and poorly-planned, accompanied by sprawling development and escalating motor vehicle use and resulting in unforeseen consequences. Almost 59,000 acres were developed in just five years recently - the fastest rate of land consumption among Virginia's major metro areas. At this rate, more land will be develped here in the next 20 years than in the previous 400. SELC's Trip Pollard analyzes trends and their impacts and outlines a comprehensive vision for change.

More reports.

Fact Sheets

Walking in Virginia: Surface Transportation Policy Project, 2003
Virginia's Spending of Federal Transportation Dollars
Summary of the Benefits of a Conservation Easement

Guides

  • James River Interpretive Guide. Your guide to the James River includes safety tips, historic sites and interpretive information. Map 1 Columbia, Goochland County to Huguenot Bridge, Richmond City.  Map 2 Huguenot Bridge to Ancarrow Landing Bridge Richmond City.  Both Maps
  • Buy Fresh Buy Local Guide. PSG is a sponsoring educational organization for this important publication providing information to consumers about opportunities to eat fresh, local food. Learn more and view guide.

Related Organization Web Sites

Conservation tools like Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) and Conservation Easements are key for managing growth. Above, Curles Neck Farm in Henrico's Varina District.