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Who We Are
RURAL PLANNING CAUCUS OF VIRGINIA: WHO WE ARE
PURPOSE
The Rural Planning Caucus’ purpose is to provide an interactive forum for rural and small town planning professionals to gather and share ideas and information that focuses on rural planning matters that affect Virginia’s rural lands and character.
To further this purpose, the Rural Planning Caucus strives to provide educational and professional development opportunities; improve rural and small town planning awareness among both local and state officials, citizens and other professional organizations; and promote legislation that does not result in an undue burden on rural localities.
HISTORY & ORGANIZATION
Rural and small town planning in Virginia has always consisted of juggling multiple responsibilities – some planning related, others not. The Rural Planning Caucus (RPC) was founded in 1978 in Blacksburg, Virginia to provide a much-needed resource to help planners learn and understand the bottom-line about new legislation, share innovative ideas and gain more efficient planning tools and techniques to accomplish everyday tasks.
The RPC is organized into an executive committee made up of twelve members elected to serve a three-year staggered term. Elections are held at the annual conference. The committee meets at least four times a year. At the first committee meeting of the year, in January, officers are elected for one-year terms. Officers include the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer. The appointment of a conference coordinator and a webmaster are also made.
ACTIVITIES
Members of the Rural Planning Caucus cover a wide spectrum of the planning profession in Virginia. Members range from planning commissioners, professors, professional planners and administrators to economic development professionals, transportation and transportation demand management (TDM) planners, lawyers, engineers and other land planning professionals. Members represent small towns, counties and larger localities striving to retain rural character in their communities. Over the years, the annual conference has become the Rural Planning Caucus’ primary focus. Usually held at Mountain Lake Hotel in Giles County, Virginia in the Fall, the annual conference is an excellent educational opportunity that also provides many planners (both rural and urban) with what may be the only opportunity for them to meet and share ideas with other planning professionals. The annual business meeting also is held during the conference to elect executive committee members, receive an annual financial report, and discuss planning-related legislation being proposed for the upcoming legislative session. In addition, the annual conference is an opportunity to award a two-year scholarship to a selected student from either Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, or Virginia Tech on a rotating basis.
Several months prior to the conference, RPC produces and distributes a publication with information on the conference including dates, an agenda and information on lodging. If you are not receiving a newsletter, please contact us to be added to our mailing list.
Every year the executive committee selects a conference theme often based on the feedback received from the previous conference attendees. Past themes and topics have included sustainable agricultural practices; techniques to revise Comprehensive Plans; low impact development techniques; legislative updates; writing effective conditions, proffers, and staff reports; water supply planning; land conservation tools; form-based code; main street revitalization; reducing the impact of rural development; methods for improving citizen participation among a wide variety of topics.