After 11 days, it looks like Richmond's Downtown Master Plan design process is getting legs. Welcome to those landing at Buttermilk & Molasses for the first time -- there are a lot of you. For the next several weeks, the weblog will focus fairly intensely on the charrette process and the development of a new Master Plan for Richmond's downtown. In between, you will find a liberal sprinkling of cultural and political observations.
Without further ado, the updates:
- If you just want to stay informed about the Downtown Master Plan, please bookmark the Richmond Planning & Development page -- it collects all of my posts on the subject onto one page. Wondering what this is all about? Check out the following specific posts:
- THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN REVISITED: PART ONE -- JUST THE FACTS
- THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN REVISITED -- PART TWO: WHAT'S A DOWNTOWN PLAN?
- THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN REVISITED -- PART THREE: THE PERFECT CHARRETTE
- THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN REVISITED: PART FOUR -- MAYBE INVITE THE PUBLIC?
- THE DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN: STOP GNASHING, START ACTING
- THE DOWNTOWN PLAN: MEET THE PLANNER - RACHEL O'DWYER FLYNN
- Friday evening, I posted an interview with Rachel Flynn, Richmond's director of the Department of Community Development. I was extremely impressed with her perspective on urban planning issues, and her passion for citizen engagement.
- Like Jon Baliles at River City Rapids, I attended Councilwoman Ellen Robertson's town meeting and slipped out early. There were about 50 residents there, and Venture Richmond presented an overview of the the charrette process that starts this Friday. Unfortunately, there was more download than discussion, but at least someone is out beating the streets finally.
- There should be an op-ed on the Downtown Plan process in this week's Times-Dispatch; I'll link to it when it runs. I wrote it over the weekend, and just heard that it is slated to run. I really wrestled with whether to craft a piece that emphasized the value of this process and sought to get residents of the region engaged, or whether I wanted to continue to pummel the agencies and organizations who pull amazing events like this together and then utterly drop the ball when it comes to effectively publicizing the event. Email lists do not effective communications make. I chose the high road.
- Speaking of email lists. I sent something out over the Connect Richmond site this weekend; it's being temporarily held hostage, pending review, and should hit some 5,000 email boxes this week. The Creative Change Center and a handful of other organizations have sent information out to their constituents. With five days to go, word is getting out.
