Posts by Emily Hamilton — Correspondent
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How will Missing Middle actually work in Arlington?
Arlington County has become the latest jurisdiction to cast off single-family zoning, legalizing up to six units on residential lots starting July 1. While other cities’ missing middle reforms have so far delivered an underwhelming amount of new housing, Arlington’s situation may actually get more homes built. Here’s how. Keep reading…
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How office development rules limit walkability in Tysons
While new developments in Tysons are improving the area’s density and walkability, some of them retain characteristics of the county’s historically suburban character. In particular, regulatory barriers prevent office development in Tysons from having the features of the most walkable pedestrian environments. But some buildings still retain characteristics of the county’s historically suburban character, and regulatory barriers prevent office development in Tysons from having the features of the most walkable pedestrian environments. Keep reading…
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The latest Tysons progress report shows mixed results on housing policy
In October, Fairfax County published its latest progress report on Tysons. Each year the county has published reports on how well development outcomes are meeting the plan’s objectives. The 2020 report provides some important updates on housing construction in Tysons, and it provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan’s income-restricted housing requirements. Here’s what we discovered. Keep reading…
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How a Tysons task force built a road map for redevelopment
In 2010, Fairfax County — one of the highest-income counties in the country — adopted a plan to redevelop its Tysons area as a walkable urban place. A task force appointed to create recommendations for redevelopment in Tysons played an important role in shaping the comprehensive plan for Tysons that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors ultimately adopted. The Tysons Land Use Task Force provides a potential model for permitting more housing in other expensive, suburban jurisdictions. Keep reading…
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How substantial park requirements may challenge walkability goals in Tysons
Access to green space plays a key part of making dense urban areas pleasant, but the focus on a large quantity of parks in the Tysons planning area poses a challenge for achieving walkability goals. Keep reading…
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Why more and more families in Tysons are calling high-rises home
High-rise housing is often portrayed as places for the young and childless. Housing for transient young adults before they move out to the suburbs to start families. But Tysons shows that this stereotype leaves out a large number of families who live in high-rises. Keep reading…
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Fairfax County found a way to upzone in Tysons with minimal roadblocks
Tysons has crafted a transit-oriented plan for constructing new residences that’s careful not to disturb existing single-family neighborhoods. It’s led to an influx of new market-rate apartments, in addition to units catering to people earning less than the county’s median income. Keep reading…
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Here’s a snapshot of how the Silver Line has impacted the Metrorail system and Tysons commuters
When Metrorail’s Silver Line opened in 2014, officials had high hopes for its ridership numbers. Though it ultimately did not meet those expectations, it fared better than other lines that have lost ridership during the time it has been in operation. Keep reading…
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Tysons housing permits are ahead of plan, but walkability lags behind
As of the latest Progress Report on Tysons, 12,991 new homes had been built, nearly 1,000 were under construction, and 30,000 more were either approved or under review. At this pace, housing construction in Tysons is on track to exceed the plan’s goals well before 2050. Keep reading…