March 31, 2008
Richmond City Population in on the Rise
Richmond boosters have 200,123 reasons to feel optimistic about the city’s future.That figure is the estimated 2007 population for the city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimate — and it’s just that — reverses a downward trend and is the first time the figure has crept above 200,000 since 1995.The city’s 2000 population was 197,790. Estimates since then have dropped below 193,000.
“It’s vitally important,” said Rachel O. Flynn, Richmond’s director of community development.
“When you think about it, we’re the only country in the world that has abandoned our cities and actually seen decreases in population, and now we’ve come full circle. . . . It builds confidence in our vitality, and hope for the future.”
“This is great news for the city,” said Jack Berry, executive director of Venture Richmond, which promotes downtown. “It indicates the city’s becoming a more attractive place to live.”
I love living in the City of Richmond because (unlike the suburbs):
- As a pedestrian, I can cross a major street feeling relatively safe. I can walk along the street and not look out of place (there are sidewalks!). I can even smile and start friendly conversations with fellow pedestrians about the flowers or their cute dog.
- I don’t have to wait nearly as long for traffic lights to change.
- I can open my front door and the morning newspaper is on my front porch (I don’t have to get dressed and wander to the end of a drive way to fetch it).
- I can run errands to my post office, pharmacy, library, bank and grocery store pushing my child in a stroller (getting exercise to boot and saving gas) instead of constantly putting my child in and out of a car seat.
- I can own the same car for 12 years and only put 65,000 miles on it even though it’s the car we take long distance when we go on vacation. I only need to fill my gas tank about twice a month, if that.
- I can feel good that I am minimizing my impact on the earth by having “recycled” my house and I’m able to drive short distances (or ride my bike or take a bus) for daily errands. I can make it to the grocery store before people in the suburbs can even make it out of their sub division.
- If I need help, there are people nearby ready to lend a hand.
- when I drive down a city street I see the fronts of houses and tree lined streets (not graying moldy stockade fencing with the backs of houses peeking over the top. Ugly and so indifferent.)
- I’m glad I don’t have to spend time on a big lawn. Yet I have space to throw the ball with my kids or have several parks and trails close by to enjoy.
- I’m glad we have a lot of shops that aren’t cookie-cutter sprawl stories.
- I’m glad I don’t have to explain to visitors in great detail how to get to my house because the grid layout and house numbering system makes sense.
- and more….
The problems the City has are fixable with good leadership. Suburbanites are getting a rude awakening that high dependence on cars is costly in many ways (and not sustainable….)
I admit I am biased toward the city. I’m glad to hear more people are discovering the benefits!
If Richmond would cut the property tax rate to be more competitive with the counties, then there would be even more of an influx of residents. The increased population would keep the tax cut revenue neutral to the city by having more houses paying taxes in the city to house the extra people.
I actually agree with City Republican above (imagine that!). If the tax rates were the same in the city as they are in the counties, more people would move in…and I speak from experience (this is the main reason that we have not bought in the city).
Also, if more people moved in, businesses would prosper, bringing in more revenue for the city.
I even would even say that city revenues would increase, despite the tax cut, because of increased spending, and new buildings and renovations.