Blog
Part I: The Geography of Belonging: Who is Our Neighbor?
The places we call home are shaped by the policies and investments we choose to prioritize. As Richmond works to update its 50-year-old zoning ordinance through Code Refresh, Southside ReLeaf is asking a simple but important question: What kind of community are we trying to build?
To explore that question, we've invited partners working in housing affordability and community development to contribute to a three-part guest blog series on the relationship between housing and zoning in Richmond. In the first installment, Richmond Zoning Advisory Council member Casey Overton examines how zoning has shaped our neighborhoods, why conversations about density are ultimately conversations about belonging, and what it means to create a city with room for everyone.
How Community-Based Partnerships Can Foster Resilience through Urban Greening
In this guest blog, Nicole Roemer, a recent VCU Master of Urban and Regional Planning graduate, shares findings from her capstone project with Southside ReLeaf. The blog explores how stronger partnerships between residents, nonprofits, and city agencies – along with targeted investments – can help Southside Richmond address flooding, extreme heat, and unequal access to green space.
The Hidden Work of Greening Richmond’s Southside: Why Autonomy Matters Beyond the Grant
In a new blog post, former Southside ReLeaf intern Destiny Brown shares insights from her urban planning research on the hidden challenges community-based organizations face when greening Southside Richmond — especially the funding barriers that limit community autonomy. She also imagines what change could look like when systems center trust and reparative justice.
Securing Virginia's Green Future: A New Plan for Forests and City Trees
Virginia is taking a bold step to protect one of its most valuable natural assets: its trees. In a new guest blog, Nathan Thomson, Policy and Legislative Analyst with the Virginia Department of Forestry, shares how a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative — the Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan — will shape the future of Virginia’s forests and city trees.
Planting Roots, Growing Community: Join Our Tree Ambassador Program at Southside ReLeaf
Our greening coordinator, Syd Collier, shares about our new Tree Ambassador Program (TAP) in our June blog. TAP is a free volunteer training program designed for folks who want to get involved, learn more, and help lead the charge for a greener, healthier Southside. Registration is open for July and August training sessions.