Thursday, April 13, 2017

Mayor Kicks Off Earth Week with New Sustainability Plan for 2050

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, along with Alicia Zatcoff, the City’s sustainability manager, announced a new sustainability planning effort for the City of Richmond called RVAgreen 2050. 
This project is a comprehensive undertaking to develop a community energy plan, a deep greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan, and a climate action plan. These components align with the collective goal of reducing city government and community greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 in order to create a healthier, more vibrant, economically competitive and resilient community.

This summer, the Mayor will host a summit of community leaders to begin planning the year-long process to deliver a realistic yet challenging plan. Indicators have been positive so far. Recycling rates are up, community energy use is down, and renewable energy capacity has increased more than 44,000 percent since 2008. City government emissions are down 11 percent. 


The Sustainability department has improved energy efficiency and reduced power use in city buildings, including new HVAC systems, automated controls, energy-efficient lighting, and power and water use tracking software, resulting in $3.8 million in savings.



Monday, April 10, 2017

VCU Study on Economic Impact of the James River Park System

Two professors from VCU completed an economic impact study of the James River Park System (JRPS) that details its positive impact for the river city. Funded by the Friends of the James River Park System, the study focuses on two factors -- property values and tourism -- and reveals that, among other things, every dollar in the park budget returns over $60 in visitor spending, and that the JRPS generates $33.5 million per year in tourism.

The full report is here.