Infra-sutures: New Perspectives in Responsive Design and Community Engagement

Whether considering the construction of highways, urban renewal, or concentrated poverty, many low-wealth communities of color bear the scars of inequity. These scars are symbols of racial and socioeconomic trauma with deep physical, cultural and economic impact; however, this plan asserts that if the built environment has the power to entrench and reinforce hierarchies, it also has the power to participate in dismantling oppressive ideologies and advancing racial and socioeconomic equity. With Richmond, Virginia serving as the case example, this plan proposes a community engagement process and culturally responsive design principles to activate public space redevelopment projects as infra-sutures. Developed by dlandstudio in Montreal, QB, Canada, infra-sutures conceptualizes efforts to reconnect communities disrupted by transit infrastructure in Montreal. This plan builds upon this concept by broadening infra-sutures to include reconnecting communities culturally and economically for healing and restoration. The four phases of engagement to redevelop public spaces as infra-sutures include: pre-planning (co-learning and sharing power with residents); inclusive planning (residents as the anchor); planning for racial equity through design; and implementation and stewardship. Each phase is built on a foundation of core beliefs that race has shaped the built environment; equitable revitalization should lead to cultural and economic wealth building; the process matters just as much as the completed project; and the expertise of residents should shape communities. This plan combines research from literature and interviews with Richmond residents, historians, and community engagement experts to develop an engagement process aimed at advancing racial and socioeconomic equity

STEAM-H & Quality Programs

This presentation was given at the 2016 Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time

From Red Lines to Brown Circles, Again: Reviving the Legacy of Maggie L. Walker for Inclusive Economic Liberation

The author uses the legacy of Maggie Walker as a background for her proposal for radical, community-based intervention, shifting to a brown circles mindset that pushes Richmond to be a more racially equitable place benefiting everyone struggling to find the on-ramp to traditional pathways of wealth building. The tethered relationship of capitalism and racism requires that the dialogue about a more racially equitable Richmond include an honest conversation about money and wealth.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/richmondracialequityessays_essays/1009/thumbnail.jp

Food Access in Petersburg, Virginia: Final Report and Recommendations

The City of Petersburg has long suffered with issues of limited access to food and food insecurity. Food deserts, or areas underserved by retail food options, are prevalent throughout the City. As a result, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has ranked the city last of Virginia\u27s 133 counties in their annual health rankings. For the Fall 2019 semester, students from Virginia Commonwealth University\u27s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, through Dr. John Accordino\u27s Urban Commercial Revitalization course, focused on planning solutions to address food deserts in commercial areas, with the City of Petersburg being one of their clients. The class assessed the potential for commercial revitalization and made five recommendations

Increasing Access to Food: A Comprehensive Report on Food Supply Options

Access to food is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, sustainable community. Grocery stores and other suppliers can serve as an economic anchor to provide social benefits to communities. Unfortunately, many communities do not have convenient and/or affordable access to grocery items, particularly fresh produce. As part of Virginia Commonwealth University\u27s Fall 2019 graduate course on Urban Commercial Revitalization, class members researched 13 retail and other food access options, which are described in this report. Each chapter covers a food access option and provides basic information that will be useful to individuals, organizations, or government agencies that wish to attract and/or develop grocery operations in their communities