Regional Symposium 2025: All in For Our Future
PlanRVA's Pathways to the Future Regional Symposium convened on Pi(e) Day, March 14, 2025 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center from 10am - 3pm.
Staff and community partners shared information and facilitated critical discussions on current programs and planning projects, emphasizing the need to explore the intersectionality of issues impacting the region's future.
At this sold out event, attendees had the opportunity to do a Board Walk, learning about PlanRVA's core programs, and visit the Activation Station to post or share a need or resource. Lobby tabling encouraged networking and engaging with staff and with representatives from VPM and The People's Budget who hosted tables.
The morning was abuzz with conversation and people making new connections among the diverse gathering of people representing business, education, non-profit leaders and staff, human services organizations, transportation entities, locality governments, elected officials, and members of the community-at-large, including some university students.
Participants engaged in interactive sessions, including digital conversation polls, and hands-on feedback activities to provide input on regional transportation and economic development plans.
And yes... the pie was delicious!
Presentations:
The agenda featured presentations on the Regional Strategic Plan, the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) 2050 update, the Near Miss Dashboard, the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), and the RVA Rising initiative. A complete slide deck PDF is available here.
The slidedeck is one complete PDF file for all presentations, including embedded QR codes and links to resources.
Event Agenda & Additional Information:
PlanRVA has developed a regional Strategic Plan as required by Code of Virginia section 15.2-4209. The region covered by this Strategic Plan includes Richmond, Ashland, and the counties of Charles City County, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Powhatan.
To promote orderly and efficient development, the Strategic Plan addresses subjects of regional importance including transportation, economic development and environmental management. The PlanRVA Commission will consider adoption of the Strategic Plan at its meeting on June 12, 2025, from 9:30-11 a.m.
If adopted, the Strategic Plan would be in effect for fiscal years 2025-2030.
Questions or thoughts on the draft regional Strategic Plan are welcome.
Read the Draft Regional Strategic Plan and submit your comments or questions here.
Pathways to the Future: Transportation 2050 is the Richmond region's long-term transportation plan. It outlines significant transportation needs across the region through the year 2050, covering all nine localities and travel modes. This plan is a dynamic document that not only sets a vision and goals for regional transportation but also prioritizes projects based on these goals.
As a fiscally constrained plan, it includes financial strategies to show how the proposed transportation improvements can be implemented. PlanRVA creates a 25-year plan and updates it every five years.
The current long-range transportation plan, ConnectRVA 2045, will expire on October 4, 2026. The 2050 plan will replace it then.
Follow the project across the 2-year timeline at our engage.planrva.org/LRTP site, where you can submit ideas and feedback on a survey and interactive map through April 2025.
Future public engagement opportunities will open at various intervals. Following the plan will ensure you are updated when new features are shared and the project status is updated.
This spring, PlanRVA launched its Near Miss Dashboard, a community engagement and mapping tool for active transportation safety. It has been developed and tested with staff and local bike-ped activists and was introduced to the wider community at our regional symposium, Pie Day.
Developed by PlanRVA's data analyst, Elizabeth Greenwell, the Near Miss Dashboard contains a form and mapping where the public can submit near miss or close call transportation events. Cyclists and pedestrians commonly experience close calls and these events go unreported to police.
The Near Miss Dashboard aims to capture what would be loss data.
Feedback on the site is welcomed! Email nearmiss@planrva.org to share thoughts or ask any questions you have!
RVA Rising is a long-term, collaborative effort to ensure everyone in the Richmond region can thrive here. Driven by data and community input, RVA Rising brings people and institutions together to pursue strategies that will create systems change and increase economic mobility for all.
Collaborative Leadership Model - Who We Are
Reggie Gordon, Executive Director of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, and RVA Rising participant leader gave the presentation at the Symposium.
The CEDS (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy) is a regionally-driven plan for economic development, and PlanRVA is currently updating the CEDS for the Richmond region, which is a prerequisite for possible future designation of the region as an economic development district (EDD) and could bring additional resources to the region.
Follow the CEDS update on our engage.planrva.org/CEDS site including access to public input resources and FAQs and to connect to the project lead staff contact.
Staying Connected!
- Follow Projects and submit your feedback on regional plans at engage.planrva.org
- Reach out to our Engagement Team about your interests and ideas!
- Subscribe to the Better Together Connector Monthly Newsletter
- Attend any of PlanRVA, RRTPO or CVTA public meetings in person or virtually. Public comment periods and email comment options open to the public.
- Review our Public Participation Guide for complete details.