Plan-Off 2016! — Real challenges, real solutions at VCU urban and regional planning event

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The Master of Urban and Regional Planning students at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will face off in the fifth annual Plan-Off on 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, from extending bus service in Richmond to promoting tourism in eastern Henrico County and redevelopment in Stafford.

“The Plan-Off allows our students to showcase the skills they have developed to a panel of professionals,” said Meghan Gough, Ph.D., 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.”