Pop-Ups Smooth Tysons' Urban Transformation

"The expansion of Metro is the first step in a multi-billion-dollar make-over of Tysons Corner; officials hope to transform what is now a sprawling expanse of corporate headquarters, two shopping malls and some of the most grinding rush-hour traffic in Northern Virginia into a livable, walkable model community for the 21st century," writes Lori Aratani. "But while the first phase of the $5.6 billion rail line is set to open around the end of the year, much of the rest of what leaders envision – high rises and walkable stretches of boutiques and restaurants — won’t replace Tysons Corner’s tired landscape for years."

"The solution, some say, is something called a pop-up development: temporary shops, restaurants, even art galleries that can fill in the gap between the present and future," she explains. "Such temporary ventures have grown in popularity and are enlivening corners of London, Munich and even Washington that otherwise might have languished in the wake of the economic slowdown."

“People will be disappointed [ if ] they step off the train and find there’s not much there there,” said Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “Pop-ups will provide some vibrancy while we’re waiting for development in Tysons to evolve.”