Individually and collectively, Greater Richmond is always moving. This issue of Grid magazine is dedicated to those creating, making, and doing in 2014. It’s dedicated to growing together.

To kick things off we went straight to the people making things happen. We asked a handful of makers and doers to share their plans for moving the region forward in 2014. We asked about their vision, hopes, and goals for the year—straight up, no filter, and in their own words.

We’ve also included the 2014 Downtown Development Guide, powered by Venture Richmond, which shares 20 pages of projects (representing over $1 billion in investments) on the horizon in the Arts District, Jackson Ward, Shockoe, Virginia Biotechnology Park, Manchester, and more. And the 2014 Downtown Dining Guide included in this issue provides a snapshot of over 190 local eateries to sample in the year ahead.

While our focus for this issue is on what’s to come, we also felt that there was no better time to include stories about neighborhoods, traditions, and businesses that are making a resurgence in 2014. Heritage crafts, like the lost art of hand-painted signs, are now shaping the way we see our businesses moving forward. Ross Trimmer, owner of Sure Hand Signs, is a local representation of a growing movement that is pulling this art from the past, dusting it off, and breathing new life into it. Grid readers can find Trimmer’s handy work on the cover of this issue, marking our first hand-painted cover. We’ve also featured Scott’s Addition, which is seeing its once industrial corridor turn to mixed-use property that has become one of the best places to live, work, and play in 2014.

An issue of Grid would not be complete without looking inward, and questioning what our publication can do in order to grow in the year ahead as well. One of the many steps we plan to take is a move to more sustainable delivery options whenever possible. We’ve detailed our plans to work with more bike-based businesses, as well as those supporting sustainable transportation, in this issue.

We hope that our first issue of the year will inspire readers to open new doors, do new things, and always move forward in 2014.