A Miyawaki Forest, March Madness, and an Update on the People's Budget
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly cloudy and windy, with a slight chance of a rain shower and high around 60. Temperatures are expected to drop down to 34 in the evening. The week ahead looks mild with highs varying from 60 to the mid-70’s and potential mid-week rain.
the pulp:
A tiny forest, or Miyawaki forest, has been planted at Fonticello Park in the Swansboro neighborhood, via Sarah Vogelsong at the Richmonder. The Miyawaki method encourages intense competition among plants for sunlight and resources, accelerating growth and biodiversity restoration.
The VCU men’s basketball team has secured the #11 seed and is headed to Denver to face #6 BYU on Thursday for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The University of Richmond women’s team earned the #8 seed and will play #9 Georgia Tech on Friday in Los Angeles.
the dive:
Delegates for the Richmond People’s Budget have completed their work in narrowing down nearly 2k community proposals to a list of 10-20 for each district.
The People’s Budget is a participatory budget process that allows residents to have a say in how $3 million of the city’s budget is spent.
Each district is allocated between $200k - $500k to fund specific projects in their neighborhoods, with voting to occur in April.
Currently the list of projects is being reviewed internally by city officials to assess feasibility, cost, and alignment with city regulations.
The projects posted are a “reflection of the work of the budget delegates but may not reflect the final project scope of work/specifications”.
Below are a few highlights from each of the districts:
1st district
Humphrey Caulder: adding a water station, a mural, expanding the garden, and upgrading the basketball and volleyball courts.
Pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements, and traffic calming throughout the district
2nd district
Standard open-air bus shelters at a number of locations in the Fan
Tree planting in Jackson Ward, Carver, Newtown West, Scott’s Addition
3rd district
Playground upgrades at both Gilbin Court and Battery Park
Tree planting throughout Northside
Safer pedestrian crossings and installing bike lanes on Brookland Park Boulevard
4th district
Sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming throughout the district
Bike lanes along Westover Hills Boulevard
A splash pad at Forest Hill park
Disc Golf at Larus Park
Completion of the walking trail along Riverside Drive
5th district
Enhancements to the forthcoming James River Branch trail
Pedestrian hub beacons,protected bike lanes, and sidewalk improvements throughout the district
Enhancements to Swansboro pool
A dog park at Oregon Hill Linear Park
6th district
Tree trimming, replanting, and sidewalk restoration throughout the district
Playground upgrades and handicap accessibility at Alice Fitz Park
Expansion of the mini-farm classroom at Hillside Court
Improving the skate park at Hotchkiss Park
7th distict
Sheltered bus stops at highly trafficked locations with high heat vulnerability
Tree planting throughout the district
Improvements at Jefferson Park, including a small dog (less than 15 lbs) park and bat houses
Solar waste compactor at bus stops throughout the district
8th district
Improvements at Blackwell community center and pool including flashing pedestrian beacons
Bus shelters and beautification at high-traffic locations
Traffic calming in Oak Grove and along Afton Avenue
“Welcome to Southside signage” on Richmond Highway
Maintenance and beautification on Maury Street
9th district
Sidewalks, lighting, and traffic calming at various locations
‘Dignified’ bus stops in the form of sheltered bus stops with seating and shade
Beautification of Midlothian Turnpike with flower planting in the median
A playground at Pocasham Pocket Park
While some project proposals include detailed descriptions, others are general and encompass the entire district.
City departments are further refining the scope of the projects and ballots will be announced in April when community-wide voting begins.
Residents aged 14 and older are eligible to participate in the process.
View the project proposals and district scorecards here.
the vibe:
Have an engaging day RVA!
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