Arlington’s road to Smart Growth began after World War II, when the postwar population boom, the Pentagon, and rapid growth in the region brought big change to the little county across the river from Washington, DC.

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.