Economic Development
To support a vibrant and sustainable community, the city of Richmond uses a strategic approach to advance its economic
development goals while supporting its environmental and social equity goals.
Initiatives moving forward include the following:
- Drive Investment
- Create new jobs
- Support existing businesses
- Encourage redevelopment in the community
Efforts are also underway to improve city infrastructure and accessibility of local, healthy and sustainable food.
Goal
Support a vibrant and sustainable community
Objectives
- Create opportunities for Richmond businesses to enhance their overall sustainability
- Create more green jobs
- Make local, healthy, and sustainable food accessible and affordable
- Improve the state of good repair and efficiency of city infrastructure
How are we doing?
Objectives
Green Businesses
Create opportunities for Richmond businesses to enhance their overall sustainability
Initiatives
Create a green business support and recognition program
A program to provide resources and recognition for businesses to improve their overall energy use and environmental footprint
Create a one-stop resource center
An online clearinghouse for information, resources, and best practices on energy efficiency, clean energy, and other sustainable practices
Educate Landlords on the benefits associated with green leases for both residential and commercial buildings
Create a training or marketing program informing tenants and landlords of the opportunities a green lease can offer
Green Jobs
Create more green jobs
Initiatives
Provide a tax credit to encourage existing businesses to be more sustainable and to attract new businesses to the city
Tax incentives that target the creation or increase of specific occupations that support a transition into the new economy
Develop a Green Jobs Training program
Green jobs training prepares the workforce with new skills so they can transition effectively into industries that are part of the new economy
Designate a Green Business District/Enterprise Zone
Enhance existing enterprise zone regulatory incentive packages to focus development on emerging low carbon industries with
high paying jobs
Healthy Food
Make local, healthy, and sustainable food accessible and affordable
Initiatives
Support an expanded network of farmers markets throughout the city
Farmers markets provide a unique and important opportunity to create a robust regional food economy and keep that money in the region
Repurpose appropriate vacant lots for urban agriculture
Urban agriculture is a productive use of vacant land that can improve blighted areas
Conduct an assessment of distances to grocery stores to eliminate food deserts
Food deserts are areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet
City Infrastructure
Improve the state of good repair and efficiency of city infrastructure
Initiatives
Restore the trolley system
Streetcar systems create transit options for tourists and have been shown to have economic development benefits
Initiate a citywide beautification program
Addressing litter, road and sidewalk repairs and general maintenance of Richmond's streets, parks, and public spaces to create a safer and more welcoming environment
Require life-cycle cost analysis for all capital improvement projects
This will allow the city to understand how much it will cost to build and operate something over its entire lifetime, enabling better
decision-making regarding spending additional dollars up-front for long-term savings
Follow RVAGreen on Twitter for tips on conserving water and energy!
Keeping Citizens Informed!