The New Pentagon City Could Be More Sustainable, Walkable

Arlington County has laid out their vision for the redevelopment of Pentagon City, which, as Jo DeVoe writes, "will include a significant amount of redevelopment and infill development, with an emphasis on residential buildings" as well as more green space and multimodal transportation infrastructure.

"[T]he draft plan divides potential redevelopment opportunities into five phases, ranging between two and five years," and "outlines the creation of at least five new acres of new parks and plazas across Pentagon City, as well as an expansion of the popular — perhaps too popular — Virginia Highlands Park by at least one acre." It also proposes "The Green Ribbon," which the draft plan calls "a new signature network of biophilic walking paths connecting public spaces, destinations, and transit throughout Pentagon City and greater 22202."

One controversial aspect of the plan is the inclusion of the RiverHouse complex, one of the largest housing complexes in the D.C. area with "significant development potential." Some residents "expressed disapproval for the impact they believed it would have on property values," while others support the conversion of surface parking near transit to housing.

On the transportation side, the plan proposes "adding a network of protected bike lanes, removing traffic lanes, improving bus facilities and beefing up micro-mobility connections to the surrounding neighborhoods."