Here is an interesting article that mentions Richmond, but not flatteringly: http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/06/how-much-are-you-willing-to-pay-to-live-in-americas-best-neighborhoods/397001/

"In the San Francisco metro area, above and to the right, there’s much less variability in quality of life. People are very willing to pay for most neighborhoods in the city itself, as well as the surrounding suburbs. Only a few sections of Oakland and Richmond, to the north of Berkeley, rank lower on the quality of life index, but these still do well relative to the rest of the country.”

And the RPA-3 are worried about gentrification? They should be worried about quality of life.