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JOIN OUR LIST
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HELP PSG PROGRESS
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Please donate your Ukrops Golden Gift Points to PSG and help us continue our mission to educate and advocate for a better Richmond Region. If you shopped at Ukrops between Feb 4 and March 29, your Golden Gift certificate has arrived in the mail, waiting to be transformed into an essential contribution for your favorite non-profit. We cannot progress without your support! Please mail points to 530 E. Main Street, Suite
410, Richmond VA
23219, or contact 804-224-1902. We need to submit our total by May31! Having trouble deciding what to do with your stimulus check and tax return? Boost the economy and invest in the future of our community and quality of life with a tax deductable donation to PSG.
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GROWING COOLER: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change
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Published by the Urban Land Institute, and released in October, Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change is a comprehensive
review of dozens of studies demonstrates that it will be nearly impossible to
avert climate change unless we can curb the growth in the miles we all drive.
That, in turn, is nearly impossible if we continue to build so as to give
ourselves no other choice. Even our most ambitious plans for improving mileage
and efficiency for our vehicles will be overwhelmed by the increases in driving
our communities require.
The good news: people do drive about a third
less in compact, walkable places, with no coercion at all. And according to the
market and demographic research amassed for the book, merely meeting the
surging demand for these environments could significantly reduce the growth in
the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation's carbon footprint
while giving people more living options. Download the executive summary here.
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Greetings!
Thank you for subscribing to Partnership for Smarter Growth's Enewsletter, the Regional Scoop. We want to keep you connected to what's happening in your neighborhood, your region, and in the Smart Growth community worldwide. You need be at the table in deciding the future of your community!
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Locality Highlights:
Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover
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Envision Richmond Grassroots Group Emerges to Support Downtown Master Plan
On Monday, May 5, over 80 citizens attended the Envision Richmond
Rally at Penny Lane pub to celebrate reaching 700 of the 1500 signature
goal for the petition in support
of the Plan. Responding to the
inclusive, open process that crafted it, citizens and organizations, including PSG, have joined forces to recognize and
promote the Downtown Master Plan as a cohesive, collective vision that builds
on Richmond's strengths to enliven and connect
our Capital City. The group applauds city leadership
for recognizing the need for visionary planning, transparency, and broad
support. Envision Richmond is working to gather momentum among
citizens, businesses, institutions, congregations, and organizations, to build
a coalition for the plan's implementation.
To sign the petition or join this effort, visit www.envisionrichmond.org.
Henrico Comprehensive Plan Analysis Group Meets
Concerned citizens from Henrico have connected with one another to analyze the 2026 Comprehensive Plan, and you are welcome to join to learn more about what residents can do to have a say in what this powerful document will mean for Henrico's future. One of the five Public Meetings sponsored by the County remains: please attend on Thursday May 29th from 4:30 - 7:30 at the Western Government Center. For info on the meetings see
Meetings give you voice in County's future.
Hanover's Cold Harbor Battlefield Endangered
In its annual
report, "History Under Siege," the Civil War Preservation Trust
listed Cold Harbor in the top 10 most endangered battlefields, stating that
"pressure in the Richmond
area is so great that only about 300 acres of what was once at least a
7,500-acre battlefield are currently preserved." For full article see Battlefields as green space: Hanover's Cold Harbor made list of 10 most endangered. "We hope communities weigh the
significance of the battlefields when making decisions on development,"
says Mary Koik, spokesperson for the Trust. Take action by clicking here.
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Regional News
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The River Rocks
The recent media attention to the James River brings the City of Richmond's conversation of balancing economic development and preservation to a regional audience. See River's Ultimate Course a Balancing Act.
Regional CooperationSigns of regional thinking are easier to find lately. A recent editorial in the Richmond Times Dispatch, True Partnership, comments on the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission's vote to join existing efforts with the business and faith communities and citizens to develop a collective vision for Central Virginia.
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PSG News
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PSG Welcomes 2 new Steering Committee Members
Joining our grassroots network of smart growth representatives from throughout the Richmond region are Lynn Wilson of Henrico, and Ennion Williams of Goochland.
Lynn serves PSG as a private citizen and Eastern Henrico tree farmer, while educating landowners about voluntary land protection in her position as Outreach Coordinator for the Capital
Region Land Conservancy (CRLC).
A former high school science teacher, Lynn holds an
undergraduate degree in Biology from Davidson
College and a M.Ed. in
Adult Education from Virginia
Commonwealth University. She and her husband enjoy running logging trails, gardening organically,
recycling faithfully and -- when there's enough water -- kayaking around the
Chickahominy swamp.
Ennion, a resident of Goochland
since 1952, connects PSG to his legacy of service in the County, including affiliations with the Nursery and Landscape Associations of both Richmond and Virginia, the Virginia Nurserymen's Association, Goochland Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Goochland, Goochland Historical Society, Goochland Farmers Market (a project of Center for Rural Culture), and St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Ennion attended East Carolina College, has been in the nursery business since 1965, and has owned Dover Nurseries since 1984. Ennion enjoys woodworking and fly fishing.
PSG State Representative Trip Pollard Weighs in on the Transportation Gridlock
Trip Pollard, director of the Land and Community program at the Southern Environmental Law Center, emphasizes the need for more transportation options and an innovative, smart approach, "to provide relief from congestion
and from higher, more volatile fuel prices, increase our energy
security and economic competitiveness, spend taxpayer funds more
wisely, and provide cleaner air and healthier communities." See It's Time to Shift Gears for the full article.
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Volunteer/ Commute/ Quote of the Month
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Volunteer of the Month
Russell Young of Big Midget Media donated his design skills and services to create the cyber home of the Envision Richmond movement in support of the Downtown Master Plan. Check out www.envisionrichmond.org to see how his work has unified this effort. PSG already has collected over 50 petition signatures through the site. Many thanks to Russell for his time, enthusiasm, and expertise!
Commute of the Month
Despite Richmonders driving more minutes per day on average than both folks from Hampton Roads and D.C., options do exist to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled . Many have increased productivity and saved money and time by enjoying telecommuting. See Working from home earns positive results. If you must travel to work, why not try the newest transportation alternative to hit Richmond, the segueway? See A New Way to Travel.
Quote of the Month
"The choice of how you use land drives all of
the other environmental issues. So far,
we've made the choice to go for sprawl.
Around Richmond you can see it sprawling
west There's a huge childhood asthma problem in [Richmond]. When you have soot and smog and
particulates being emitted into the air, I think that's a direct contributor."
- Noah Sachs, in Style Weekly, Assistant Professor of Law
& Faculty Director, Robert R.
Merhige, Jr. Center for Environmental Studies, University of Richmond.
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The grassroots movement for smarter growth starts with you. Thank you for staying connected and taking action.
Sincerely,
Sheila Sheppard
Partnership for Smarter Growth |
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