IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS
ONE BUSINESS, ONE BLOCK,
ONE STREET AT A TIME
With projects such as the Dia de Los Muertos
Festival, which has been inducted into the
Congress Hall of Fame and has become a
By Jeannie Howard
fixture event for the Fruitvale community since its inception
more than twenty years ago, and the Temescal District in
Oakland, urban revitalization has been an endless career
passion for Darlene Rios Drapkin, founder of Urban
Transformations and an Ambassador for the Richmond
Chamber of Commerce. “I am very intrigued by economic
redevelopment strategies,” she said, “and I love the flare and
the creativity that is present in commercial districts. It is fun
to be a part of a community and to have a nearby shopping
area to walk.”
Starting her consulting business, Urban Transformations,
more than a decade ago, Drapkin has searched for
opportunities to not simply consult on ways to improve
urban business districts throughout the Bay Area, but has also
been a hands-on advocate for merchants. “All I really do is
help neighborhoods live up to their full potential,” Drapkin
expressed.
Even though Drapkin has been a Richmond resident for
more than twenty years, her redevelopment projects had
consistently kept her focus outside of her own community—
up until the last few years that is. “I had been working the
last twenty years in Oakland and other neighborhoods and
then I thought, ‘wait, Richmond needs my help,’” she said.
With the assistance of some small grants, Drapkin has been
able to shift her focus to helping revitalize Richmond.
Because of the city’s immense potential, Drapkin admits that
she is always very positive about Richmond and strongly
believes that through community and city cooperation there
can be greater representation for small businesses, which
will “create more walkable and liveable neighborhoods in
Richmond.”
Garnering more attention and representation does not
just happen, as Drapkin states, but that it takes a consorted
effort from the business owners themselves. “The city is
an important element, but you can’t just rely on the city,”
she explains. “Merchants have to become an extension of
the city in helping resolve issues and becoming part of the
solution.” This involvement, she strongly believes, is what
creates community stakeholders that have vested interests in
the success of neighborhoods. “Part of my role is to get those
merchants involved,” she said, “which is why I am so active
with the chamber.”
62 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM FEBRUARY 2018