Our Policy Priorities

Commitment to New Parks in Southside:

• Need a dedicated line item in the budget to secure ongoing funding for onboarding five new parks in Southside, including a minimum allocation of $250,000 per park to ensure ADA accessibility and public usability.

Community Engagement:

• Actively involve community members where they are adequately compensated for their time when assisting in the planning and onboarding process, ensuring the project reflects their vision for the park. This will be a collective effort, intentionally guided by the community’s input to ensure inclusivity and alignment with their needs.

Infrastructure & Amenities:

• Provide essential infrastructure such as lighting, trails, restrooms, benches, water fountains, and shaded areas to ensure the parks are functional, welcoming, and enhance the overall user experience.

Urban Forestry Division:

• Establish a dedicated budget line item to fund personnel, equipment, and operations for urban forestry, including a minimum two-year watering requirement for newly planted trees.

• Ensure funding for ongoing tree maintenance, watering (2-year minimum), and care, potentially sourcing funds from DPW or the Urban Forestry Commission.

• Expand staff with a goal of 8–10 full-time arborists (up from the current 4) by hiring at least 1–2 arborists per year.

• Update the organizational chart to reflect the division's needs, providing direct staffing for urban forestry management.

Tree Ordinance Update:

• Expedite updates to the 30-year-old ordinance in collaboration with the Urban Forestry Commission to address current challenges and preserve tree canopy.

Tree & Greenspace Preservation Policy:

• Require replacement of trees removed by developers at their expense, discouraging unnecessary tree removal.

• Increase zoning requirements for tree preservation from the current 20%.

• Establish a city tree fund to support tree planting and maintenance efforts.

Green Space Protections:

• Codify protections for green spaces, including parks, playgrounds, community gardens, and streetscapes to prevent industrial or hardscape development in these areas.

• Strengthen regulations to safeguard these spaces, ensuring they remain public and protected from commercial or industrial development.

Office of Sustainability:

• Fully fund and integrate the office into the mayor’s cabinet with responsibilities for sustainability, urban forestry, emergency management, and disaster preparedness.

Public Notification for Tree Removal:

• Implement a policy requiring the city to post public notices before removing any trees from public or green spaces.

Community Stipends:

• Create a funding mechanism under the Department of Neighbors and Community Service to compensate community members for participation in focus groups, consultations, and planning processes.

Community Benefit Agreements:

• Develop a standardized community benefit agreement template for city development projects to ensure equitable outcomes.

Flooding & Air Quality Data:

• Invest in tracking systems to monitor flooding and air quality impacts across the city.

Urban Heat Islands:

• Prioritize mapping urban heat islands and align efforts with transit and walkability improvements, such as shaded sidewalks and bus shelters.

Transit Infrastructure:

• Collaborate with partners to install benches, shaded areas, and other amenities for dignified transit experiences.

• Expand connectivity within Southside neighborhoods and improve walkable paths to GRTC stops by prioritizing sidewalks, shaded walkways, and tree-lined routes.

• Add a dedicated transit route within Southside to enhance accessibility and connectivity for residents.

Fare-Free Transit:

• Advocate for sustained fare-free transit to increase accessibility and reduce barriers for residents.

1:1 Redevelopment Policy:

• Ensure any redevelopment of public housing includes a one-to-one replacement policy to provide affordable housing in the same location.

Public Housing Improvements:

• Address critical infrastructure needs such as broken sidewalks and poor lighting in areas like Hillside.

• Prioritize investments in public housing beautification projects.

Environmental Justice in Housing:

• Empower housing organizations to view themselves as environmental justice champions through their work on climate-related topics, including energy audits, weatherization, and air quality improvements in homes.

Southside ReLeaf supports Virginia Conservation Network’s (VCN) policy agenda, Our Common Agenda. This agenda is the most comprehensive overview of Virginia’s environmental policy landscape. A collection of papers written by, vetted through, and voted on by VCN’s 170+ Network Partners, this briefing book explains the Commonwealth’s environmental policy background and potential opportunities for clean water & flood resilience, land & wildlife conservation, land use & transportation, climate & energy, and good governance.