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Plan-Off 2016! – Real Challenges, Real Solutions
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By Pamela Stallsmith
The Wilder School’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) students will face off in the fifth annual Plan-Off on Friday, April 29.
This year’s event — Plan-Off 2016! Real Challenges. Real Solutions. — will take place at the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s Virginia Housing Center, 4224 Cox Rd. in Glen Allen, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Thirteen students will compete for a prize by pitching their solution to a real-world planning, public policy or management problem before a panel of expert judges. Each student will have three minutes to present his or her plan, which will advance through a series of rounds until a champion is named.
This year’s plans cover a variety of topics in eastern Virginia, from extending bus service in Richmond to promoting tourism in eastern Henrico County to redevelopment in Stafford.
“The Plan-Off allows our students to showcase the skills they have developed to a panel of professionals,” said Dr. Meghan Gough, chair of the Urban and Regional Studies/Planning program. “The MURP program blends both theory and real-world experience to give students the knowledge they need to successfully pursue their interests.”