Clarendon Center in Arlington, Virginia
The Clarendon-Wilson corridor was recently to the top 10 list of “Great Streets in America” by the American Planning Association. If you enjoy visiting the various and lively shops and restaurants here, then you weren’t at all surprised by the news. Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards were chosen because of the neighborhood’s above-average use of metro, reduced reliance on cars, a reduced carbon footprint, the mixed-use development, and increased density.
The corridor bounded by the boulevards, which generally run parallel, is full of street-level shops, restaurants, offices and condos. The “urban village,” the association says, “demonstrates how active local government and committed business owners and residents used planning and smart growth practices to take advantage of, and effect, change.”
And here’s a very interesting statistic about Arlington: 20% of Arlington residents don’t own a car and 50% walk, bike or use public transportation to get to work.
Decades ago urban planning diverted the Metro from its planned path along Interstate 66 and sent it through Arlington county’s commercial center. The move to redirect Metro, and a succession of plans forged in what officials said sometimes seemed like a never-ending series of meetings, helped transform the Clarendon area into a national darling in development circles. By putting up condos and businesses along transit lines while keeping the area’s funky style alive — the festive Mardi Gras parade is still going strong — planners say Arlington officials, merchants, land owners and residents have pulled off something worth recognizing and replicating.
