Under the Manchester Bridge, what had been an idea for years turned into something tangible, at least for a day. Hundreds of people moved through the space as muralists painted, DJs played, and passersby stopped mid-bike ride or walk to figure out what was going on....
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. On paper, Shockoe Bottom should be thriving. It’s got the history, the bars, the foot...
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...
The water crisis on January 6th immediately and obviously grabbed everyone’s attention because it left city residents without safe water for six days and came on suddenly; people were scrambling for water long before the city even notified the public that afternoon. The city’s Finance department has had challenges for years, but lately, it...
“I never would have thought that I would be the minority in my neighborhood,” said Sandra Bowman, a Black resident of Richmond’s East End. She told an interviewer last year that the recent arrival of white neighbors has led to changes. That shift has also brought frustration. “If a brick comes up in their sidewalk,” she said...
