Rural Planning and Economic Development

Explore the history, people, landscapes, and economies of rural Virginia. Put what you learn to work with our community partners.

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A working farm, a barn, and a white house with a red roof against a mountain ridge
Course photograph from Lecture I

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Townscape Workshop

Compare town form at the same scale. Download the workshop maps and GIS files for our in-class sketching and mapping work.

Open the workshop

What are you working on?

  1. Serial Vision

    Read a place through a sequence of views.

  2. Conservation Analysis

    Map landscape systems and explain their planning significance.

  3. Value Per Acre Analysis

    Compare assessed property values per acre in a 3D parcel view.

  4. Individual Assignment 4

    Choose a method that supports your community project.

Course essentials

Team meeting polls and formsSchedule and deadlinesOpen CanvasTemplates and handoutsGetting started with Codex and GitHubExperiment with Townscaper

Use this site to learn, explore, and make your work. Submit assignments in Canvas.

Our community partners

Downtown Bluefield, Virginia

Bluefield, Virginia

One integrated comprehensive plan for a border town in Tazewell County.

Dickenson County Courthouse in Clintwood, Virginia

Dickenson County, Virginia

Four applied projects connecting Haysi, downtown Clintwood, industrial development, housing, workforce, and community reuse.