Arlington County

Winner of the first EPA Smart Growth Award and the Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Capital Region Visionary Award, Arlington County is a national leader in transit-oriented development, affordable housing, transit, and street design. Today, Arlington boasts 50 million square feet of transit-oriented development in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor alone and has done so without increasing traffic. Nearly 40% of trips in this corridor are made by transit, walking, and bicycling.

The County continues to make major investments in transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and affordable housing with a focus on getting the details right and maintaining an inclusive community

Our Work in Arlington, VA

Plan Langston Boulevard

Arlington County is developing a comprehensive vision and policy framework for the future of Langston Boulevard, which is Route 29 and formerly known as Lee Highway. During the spring/summer 2021, the county held listening sessions and walking tours on the preliminary land use scenarios that offered different land use mixes that would enable diverse housing options, enhancements to open space and stormwater management, safer streets and better transit. Community feedback will help inform County staff what concerns and priorities to address as they move to the next phase of developing a Preliminary Concept Plan. Learn more >>>

Image: Arlington County website

Missing Middle Housing Study

Arlington County has initiated a Missing Middle Housing Study to explore how different housing types could help increase the County’s housing supply and diversify the range of housing choices. “Missing middle” refers to the range of housing types that fit between single-family detached homes and mid-to-high-rise apartment buildings. Having different types and sizes of homes helps provide more options at different price points. A phase I report that was just released summarizes the priorities and concerns identified by community feedback, which will be used to determine the housing types to study as part of Phase II. Learn more >>>

Image: Arlington County website

Latest Happening

Ross66

In Arlington, state wants to develop and build over I-66 in Rosslyn, East Falls Church Metro

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The proposed area in Rosslyn where Virginia is asking for possible development suggestions. The area in pink is the main area, the areas in light green are secondary possibilities. Air rights are rapidly becoming a hot topic in Northern Virginia. Some heavy-hitters in Fairfax are pushing for development over the Silver Line
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Arlington is Booming, And Traffic Fantastically Remains at 1970s Levels

Arlington is Booming, And Traffic Fantastically Remains at 1970s Levels

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Science fiction fans will recognize this plot line. A woman travels into the past, telling her ancestors about her reality in the future, only to be called a lunatic because of the incredible nature of what she is saying. Anyone who lives and works in 2013 Arlington, Virginia might be
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Comments on Arlington County’s Columbia Pike Plan and Streetcar

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The key to a sustainable and equitable future for our region is a network of transit-oriented communities which mix a range of housing with jobs and services. We need the next generation of transit including streetcar, light rail, and bus rapid transit to expand high capacity transit service to more of our region, expanding access to jobs, reducingvehicle trips and fighting climate change. TOD not only maximizes transit trips but it also maximizes walking and bicycling trips as demonstrated by recent Council of Governments' travel surveys.
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Arlington: Testimony in Support of the East Falls Church Area Plan

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The Coalition for Smarter Growth endorses the East Falls Church Plan while making recommendations for enhancement and implementation of the plan. We commend the extensive process that has gone into the development of a sustainable, walkable vision for the future -- including a citizen task force that included representatives of neighborhood associations and other stakeholders, as well as additional analysis and refinement by county staff based on feedback from the community.
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Arlington: Accessory Dwelling Units

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We strongly support the proposed ordinance, which proposes to establish a legal permitting process for accessory apartments. We commend the County for recognizing the potential of accessory units as an important opportunity to address the County’s tremendous housing shortfall–for households at all income levels. Accessory Dwelling unit permissions are recognized as a national best practice for mature, single-family housing neighborhoods like in Arlington.
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