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Steps to Achieve this Part of Gayle's Plan

9. Better City Planning

Richmond needs a Planning Department that plans in the public interest. As mayor, I will lead comprehensive reform of how we plan for the city's future, creating a Planning Department with the leadership to develop a unified and integrated people’s vision for the Richmond we want. I will strengthen the role of local communities and neighborhoods in the planning process, and ensure that new development contributes to a better, more equitable city for all residents of Richmond.

As mayor, I will:
Transform the culture of planning by taking the special interests out of the Planning
and Redevelopment Departments, putting an end to irresponsible re-zoning amendments
and leading the effort to create a responsible, community-based strategy to manage
Richmond's growth.
Do comprehensive planning by promoting the transfer of more decision-making capacity
to the neighborhoods, demanding more interagency collaboration on streetscape, open
space and community facility improvements, and creating new revenue sources to fund a
range of public benefits.
Ensure experience and diversity in the planning process by creating a third-party rating
system to certify that Planning Commissioners have the experience and objectivity
needed to make informed planning decisions, and creating benchmarks for diverse
citizen involvement in all planning processes.
Improve the quality of new development by creating an independent design review unit
in the Planning Department, accountable directly to the public, to improve the overall
design and quality of large projects.
Monitor the General Plan Update process so that the City addresses the needs of all of
Richmond, recognizing that Richmond’s destiny should be defined by Richmond’s residents.
Include an Environmental Justice element within the General Plan.
Improve Preservation Planning by including a preservation element in the City's General
Plan, and increasing the number of land-marked buildings and historic districts.
Monitor the City’s new plan review process, making sure it is operating without
bureaucratic stalls.
Monitor the new inspection program, ensuring the old self-inspection process (that allowed
Chevron to self-inspect, self-permit, and self-certify its projects) is revamped completely
and the new process operating smoothly.

point 10 >>