REDI Updates

By Christy Leffall

Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, was a day to celebrate. REDI community partners gathered at Grace Lutheran Church in Richmond to celebrate the group’s accomplishments of the more than five-year General Plan campaign. Representatives from REDI partners included, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO), Faith Works, and Urban Habitat.

Community members from each group shared stories around their personal and group’s participation toward a vision for a better and more equitable Richmond. The partners were excited to reiterate their success in getting the Planning Commission to incorporate a majority REDI’s recommendations regarding jobs, transit, housing, safety, and community health in the final draft of the General Plan. This event was also a call to action to mobilize members to attend upcoming city council meetings and the impending general plan vote expected within the next few weeks.

After the General Plan is passed, REDI members will remain vigilant heading into the Housing Element analysis and implementation phases of the General Plan.

Prepare to Speak out on Richmond's General Plan! Lift up your dreams for the city where you live.

When a city approves a General Plan, it makes a commitment to the kind of place it wants to be. This is our chance to prepare to speak out and calion the city's leaders to lift up our needs and dreams. The General Plan can help us make Richmond a safe, healthy and thriving place that has homes people can afford and sustainable jobs. A city that makes sure no neighborhoods bear more than their fair share of pollution, and polluters bear their fair share of cleaning up the air. The Richmond Planning Commission AND the City Council have to approve the plan. Get ready by attending the REDI Leadership Training- come strengthen your skills, speak up for your community!

Achieving Equity in Green Economic Development
A Publication of the Richmond Equitable Development Initiative (REDI)

The Greening Equity Report for Richmond, California is the result of the early community outreach and research efforts of the Richmond Equitable Development Initiative (REDI) to understand the state of the green economy in the greater Richmond area. The overarching goal of this report is to inform community members, local stakeholders and especially city officials and local leaders so that they can promote and support activities, programs, and policies that will advance equitable green economic development with an emphasis on the following areas:

•     Creating opportunities to grow green collar employment and businesses 
•     Ensuring that new green jobs offer livable wages and benefits
•     Connecting residents to employment and/or training opportunities
•     Promoting efficient and environmentally-friendly land use decisions
•     Leveraging federal, state, and local funds to enhance economic opportunities for residents
•     Supporting policies that create new markets for green products and services.