What_urban_planners_do

=**Why, according to John Accordino, VCU is the right place to start a graduate program in urban planning?** = He says that they have a "learning by doing" method that helps every student to get more involved in the process of development of projects. Thats why all students learn the planning profession very well, so they all find good planning related jobs by the time they graduate. Their program is a widely respected program that is acredited by the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Planning Association.

= **What are the advantages for studying a master's program in this university?** =  He says that every student completes an internship in a public or private planning related organization, and has the opportunity to get in touch with urban planners not only from Virginia but from all of the United States and around the world. and thats why all students learn the planning profession very well, so they all find good planning related jobs by the time they graduate.

= **What advantages does the city of Richmond represent to those students who decide to study at VCU?** =  He says that Richmond, Virginia is an ideal place to learn the ways of planning. It is an historic city with historic neighbors and exquisite architecture, with a rising metropoplical economy, but it also has challenges such as poverty, political fragmentation and threads to enviromental sostanbility. The surrounding towns of Richmond are now facing the pressure of development. Accordino says that this settings and issues provide the opportunity of learning practical planning skills.

= **What are the different programs offered at VCU?** = They offer graduate certificates of Urban Revitalization, Historic Preservation, Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S).