Big things are expected from planners in Northern Virginia this year.
Michelle Krocker examines three big planning efforts underway in Northern Virginia for 2016. According to Krocker, all three plans—in Old Town North in Alexandria, Reston Town Center, and Arlington's Lee Highway—"are happening within the framework of last year's local election campaigns, with lagging economies, rising housing costs, growing poverty in the suburbs, and the question of where our jobs will sleep at night."
The three plans, with lots more detail and analysis provided in the article:
- The Old Town North Small Area Plan in Alexandria will update a plan approved in 1992.
- The Lee Highway Briefing Book "will examine existing conditions and policies that affect the corridor between Rosslyn and East Falls Church" to help guide future redevelopment in the area.
- The redevelopment of Reston Town Center North in Fairfaz will create "eight block parcels with a grid of streets and a mix of uses…"
FULL STORY: Three big urban planning efforts that will transform Northern Virginia

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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