Editor's note: We were sent this petition after publishing: VCU Demolition Blitz: More Richmond Erased HERE. As reported by The Richmonder last week, “The Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan, which sailed through City Council with a unanimous vote Sept. 28, is intended...
Editor’s note: This is an op-ed. The views belong to the author and not necessarily RVA Magazine. We publish opinion pieces to spark conversation, share perspectives, and give space to voices in our community. by Jacob Sherrod Richmond’s zoning code, the policies which govern what buildings can be built and where, is being rewritten as per a...
Dispatch number two: The State of Science in 2025 Join us for Salon de Résistance on September 25 at Black Iris for a conversation about science in America. Scientific progress shouldn't be optional. From vaccines and clean energy to space exploration and evolutionary discoveries that map our common ancestry, science is the backbone of our public...
Most Richmonders haven’t heard about it, but the City of Richmond is rewriting the rules that will determine what can be built, and where, for decades to come. It’s called the Zoning Code Refresh, and right now, it’s quietly moving through the public comment stage. If that sounds boring, it isn’t. Zoning controls whether your neighborhood sees...
Inspectors General are (and should be) vital cogs in any governmental or organizational machine. Many federal agencies have them, state governments use them, and local governments depend on them. They bring to light the waste, fraud, and abuse that can permeate and be hidden so well at the local level they aren’t caught for years, and deprive...
The City of Richmond has awarded more than $9 million through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) to support eight development projects expected to deliver nearly 600 new or preserved affordable housing units across the city. The funding also includes $2.2 million for the Healthy Homes Rehabilitation Program, which helps low-income...
As Shockoe Bottom has continued to be ground zero for unmanaged nightlife, armed youth, and disappearing oversight business owners and community leaders warn that Richmond’s failure to act isn’t just bad policy, it’s a dangerous gamble with the city’s future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeevJeoM91k On paper, Shockoe Bottom should be thriving....
If there was a moment that changed the race for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor, it would definitely be when Senator Ghazala Hashmi delivered a speech in the bed of a pickup truck outside of a protest against Governor Glenn Youngkin in Church Hill. Hashmi did not shy away from progressive politics. She built a coalition of...
In 2013, a two-day event transformed a neglected stretch of Norfolk, Virginia, into a pop-up arts district. It wasn’t a city plan—it was a vision. Volunteers opened temporary galleries in boarded-up storefronts. Food trucks rolled in. Sidewalks were painted with makeshift crosswalks. Musicians played under murals that hadn’t been there the day...
Disclaimer: The following is a letter to the editor. It represents their personal views on this issue. RVA Magazine is committed to providing a platform for community voices on important local matters. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of RVA Magazine, its staff, or affiliates. Written and image by Ian C. Hess In a political...
