Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development recently released the long-awaited Draft Area Plan Langston Boulevard Area Plan, which may be found here.
The Draft Area Plan sets forth a comprehensive policy framework to guide future public and private investment in Arlington’s Langston Boulevard/U.S. Route 29 corridor. The document represents the first major corridor-wide planning effort for Arlington County’s portion of Route 29 since the adoption of the General Land Use Plan in 1961.
With the hope of transforming the typology of Langston Boulevard into a “green main street,” the Draft Area Plan sets forth a vision, goals, policies, and implementation strategies to guide long-term public and private investment in the Langston Boulevard corridor.
The Draft Area Plan groups its recommendations around nine key planning areas and sets forth a series of design principles for new development, with an emphasis on biophilia, safety, social connections, placemaking, and neighborhood identity.
The Draft Area Plan builds on the 2022 Preliminary Concept Plan by including additional recommendations for pedestrian safety, housing affordability, and building sustainability/carbon neutrality. It also makes recommendations for additional parks, plazas, and pedestrian connections in each neighborhood. Taller building heights are also recommended at key intersections and transit-proximate activity hubs.
The County will collect feedback on the Draft Area Plan this summer. Planning Commission and County Board hearings are tentatively expected in the September/October timeframe.
To elicit public feedback, the County will be hosting three open houses for the public on July 12th, 20th, and 26th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Langston Boulevard Alliance Design Studio, located at 4500 Langston Boulevard. Additionally, the public may provide feedback online by July 30th here.
Please contact the firm for further information and ways to participate in the process.
Image Source: Public Domain
