Richmond Brainstorm

Welcome to RichmondBrainstorm.com!

This site is for collecting ideas about how we can make Richmond, Indiana a better place to live, work and play. Users like you submit ideas that everyone else can read, discuss and vote on. A random selection of ideas is below, and you can use the menu at the top to see other ideas on the site. Enjoy!

Gathering Fall Fruit

Submitted by Scott Zimmerman in Food and Agriculture

I have noticed that many people have fruit trees, mainly apples, in their yards but they never harvest them. If a student or community group would contact the property owners, it might be possible to harvest the fruit and provide it to a community pantry or homeless shelter. Cooking the apples into apple sauce (a very easy process) would allow the fruit to be frozen for long-term storage.

Renew our sidewalk infrastructure

Submitted by Chris Hardie in Transportation

With modern housing subdivisions and new retail developments, adding sidewalks is often a low priority if it even gets done at all. We all know that being able to walk to our destinations has benefits related to health and wellness, but is also an essential thing for some who don't have access to other forms of transportation.

Richmond should renew its sidewalk infrastructure:

Designated Bike Paths

Submitted by armahillo in Transportation

Richmond is a small enough community that it is feasible to use a bike for cross-town transportation.

The problem I find, when trying to bike commute, is that it is often a bit dangerous, since I either have to ride on sidewalks or on busy streets / thoroughfares. I often have to take back-roads and go through parking lots and alleyways to get where I need to go.

Create a Campus - Community Partnership for Sustainability

Submitted by iowa_connection in Education

Foster and nurture a relationship between the students/staff of Earlham College and the City of Richmond that will harness the collective energies and wisdom toward making a collective surge for community sustainability ala Berea College and the community of Berea, Kentucky. More info at: http://www.berea.edu/sens/ccp/

Beyond Facebook

Submitted by WayneCounty in Media and Broadcasting

I realize that if we have anything in common when it comes to what we all do online, it has to be Facebook.

It has become so popular that it seems everyone you talk to has an account and hangs out there. But what I'm also realizing is it has become a lot like AOL used to be: a place where people go and stay for the most part, without venturing out of Facebook to other sites on the web.

One of the problems for locals has been there wasn't much else to do to meet up with people in our area and find out what's going on.

Increase green spaces in the central business district

Submitted by Chris Hardie in Neighborhoods and Families

This idea was suggested by a participant at this morning's brainstorming meeting at the Uptown Innovation Center:

It would be great to have more green spaces where workers in the central business district could sit to eat lunch, read, relax, etc. while taking a break from their work day. This could be done in partnership with local businesses, property owners, the Parks department, and the City government.

Catalog and publicize past community growth studies and reports

Submitted by Chris Hardie in Regional Connections

Over the years, various organizations and government entities in our area have commissioned studies and reports related to the growth and success of our area. Some of the studies have evaluated the feasibility of creating new facilities or organizations, while others have focused on taking stock of the resources and possibilities that exist here, and how best to make use of them.

Create a local BALLE network

Submitted by Chris Hardie

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies brings small business leaders together to help answer these questions: "How can my business use less energy and produce less waste? How can I help my customers understand that locally owned businesses are important to the strength of our community? What new business opportunities exist for our region in the emerging green economy?"

Make Richmond Brainstorm known to the community.

Submitted by ednadis

I think Richmond Brainstorm needs to be featured in the local media and talked up as a communication venue. I personally had forgotten it even existed and i notice nothing recent on here. Yet it is such a great concept. Let's get reconnected and start fresh again.

Have First Friday arts/culture events

Submitted by Chris Hardie in Arts, Culture and Fun