Vision

Safe Streets, Engaged Youth

Since 2017, Richmond Highway Corridor neighbors have expressed concern with the following areas of safety.

• Pedestrian Safety

• Public Health

• Youth Engagement

• Police response time

• Street lighting

• Violent crime

In 2019, neighbors decided to take collective action on two issues — Pedestrian Safety and Youth Engagement. Youth also gave input, and together they designed the ARCA project.

ARCA stands for Art, Racial Reconciliation, and Civic Advocacy, and is a creative placemaking program for Black and Latino/a youth living on Richmond’s Southside. Through ARCA, Black and Hispanic youth on Richmond’s Southside are mentored by professional artists, while designing and creating public art that improves safety and promotes public access to green space.

In 2019 and 2021, youth painted traffic-calming street art at busy intersections.

In 2022 and 2023, youth installed painted signs and benches and created a rock garden medicine wheel in Broad Rock Creek Park.

In 2024 youth are co-designing the park with the city, and installing art in the park.

Why this matters

Pedestrian Safety: According to research, individuals who do not feel safe walking or cycling in their community are less likely to be out walking, running, and playing. And, being physically active has important health benefits. According to the Richmond City Vision Zero Action Plan report, the number of car crash-related fatalities was 11 in 2019, and the number of serious car crash-related injuries was 158.

Also illustrated in the map below are Richmond City’s high injury street networks, where fatal and serious car crashes happen across the City with greater frequency due to a large volume of vehicles and wider and more travel lanes. Most of the high injury street networks shown are located in “very low” Health Opportunity Index (HOI) areas, a composite measure of the social, economic, educational, demographic, and environmental factors that relate to a community’s well-being. Areas in the City with a “very low” HOI have almost three times as many fatalities and serious injuries compared to other HOI areas combined. Unsafe, high injury streets may contribute to the overall health outcomes of residents in areas with the greatest need.

Youth Engagement: In 2016, in the RVA Thrives geographic area, there were approximately 2000 teens ages 12-17. Yet on the Southside of Richmond there are very few after-school programs for middle and high school youth. Extracurricular and after-school programs that engage youth provide them with a safe space from violence in their community and help encourage them to stay out of the violence in their community. Among children, growing up in high crime neighborhoods is associated with lower academic achievement and physical activity, and higher rates of stress.