About Us

Emily Ruf and Ryan Rinn are graduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Their main research focus has been on urban commercial revitalization and community-based development. Emily is a Wilder Fellow at VCU and currently works at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.  She has been a Richmond resident for 5 years and lives downtown. Ryan is the former Director of Grassroots Education for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and currently has an internship with Virginia Main Street.  He has been a Richmonder for 12 years and lives in Byrd Park.

Emily and Ryan have worked on two previous plans for the City of Richmond while at VCU:
1) The North Highland Park Quality of Life Plan for City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson and the Highland Park Community.
2)The Westover Hills Commercial District Revitalization Plan for City Council President Kathy Graziano, the Westover Hills Merchants Association and the Westover Hills Neighborhood Association.

This projected is being conducted with the guidance of Mark Olinger, Director of Planning and Development Review for the City of Richmond.

Emily Ruf
rufee@vcu.edu
(804)382-7614

Ryan C. Rinn
rinnrc@vcu.edu
(210) 241-8553