Policy & Advocacy
We “pass the mic” to our neighbors and empower Southside residents to advocate for the change they want to see in their own community. Through education, civic engagement and thoughtful dialogue, we advocate for sound policies that preserve our natural environment, strengthen climate resiliency, and provide opportunities for communities to thrive.
Our advocacy includes:
Developing policy proposals that prioritize climate action in the city’s budget to reduce emissions, mitigate heat island effects, expand access to green spaces, and phase out Richmond’s reliance on fossil gas.
Working with state legislators at the General Assembly to support legislation that will benefit localities like Richmond.
Hosting listening sessions and attending civic association meetings to uplift community concerns.
Elevating stories of environmental racism through the news media.
Our Wins
The Fight to Save Hickory Hill
In October 2021, Southside ReLeaf along with partner organizations led a planting of 100 trees at Hickory Hill Community Center, a historically significant community center and local park in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood. Just a year later, the city of Richmond proposed to pave over two acres of green space at the community center to build a burn tower for a fire training facility—bringing fires, smoke and more concrete to a renewed community park in a formerly redlined neighborhood. By summer 2023, the city reversed its decision to pave over the park thanks to activism and advocacy by neighbors and community groups.
Creation of the City’s First Urban Forester Position
Richmond’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Resolution calls for the creation of a new urban forester to lead the creation of an urban forestry master plan. Southside ReLeaf played a key role in Richmond City Council allocating funding in the FY2023 budget to hire the city’s first-ever urban forester to maintain and enhance tree populations.
Five New Parks in Southside
In 2020, the city announced the creation of five new park spaces in Southside Richmond. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney attributed the work of Southside ReLeaf in the city’s initiative to create those new spaces. Mayor Stoney said, “With the help of outstanding community experts, we’ve made an intentional effort to designate the first new parks space since the 1970s in communities of color. And we’re asking the community what they want to see in those spaces thanks to organizations like Southside ReLeaf.”