Repairing Superblocks through Redevelopment

Arlington has embarked on a redevelopment plan that will accommodate significant new growth in housing units and office space that will transform Crystal City's 60s era superblocks into a more coherent, vibrant pedestrian network.

The recently adopted Crystal City Sector Plan generally proposes to guide future redevelopment in Crystal City to break down the superblocks into a more traditional neighborhood development pattern by converting one-way streets to two-way streets and creating new streets through redevelopment to create a more refined urban street grid.

From the Under One Roof blog: "In addition to street improvements, key land use and urban design changes in vertical building form can also play a role. For instance, instead of the towers in the park typology that characterizes much of Crystal City today, more mid- and high-rise buildings can be placed at the back of sidewalk and oriented to have their building facades (on at least two sides) help to frame and create the urban spaces that comprise the neighborhood's streets, parks, and plazas."

Thanks to Andrew D'huyvetter