proposed new Tysons project not walkable enough (Arlington, Fairfax: real estate, designs)

[brooklynborndad]

Many Tysons developers aren't learning - Greater Greater Washington

this guy takes issue with Lerner's proposed new development.

[Joke Insurance]

Greater Greater Washington; now that is a blog that all DC area people should be checking out

[Alicia Bradley]

Thanks for posting this, bbdad. I wasn't very optimistic about the idea of a 'walkable Tysons' *before* knowing anything about the specific proposals. But now I'm even more convinced that the only place people will be walking around in Tysons in the future will be... the interior of the mall(s), just like now.

[dkf747]

What a huge waste of money to build Metro there if this is how it gets built.

[brooklynborndad]

but read the comments - the lerner project was proposed under the OLD tysons master plan. This may be a learning process - as one commentor said, look how Arlington learned - Clarendon was built differently than Rosslyn/Crystal City.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

but read the comments - the lerner project was proposed under the OLD tysons master plan. This may be a learning process - as one commentor said, look how Arlington learned - Clarendon was built differently than Rosslyn/Crystal City.

It's too expensive to be a learning process. They need to redo it right.

[StartSomewhere]

Just to be fair on the part of the county, this proposal was approved under the old guidelines before the Tysons Comp Plan was approved last year. County staff viewed this as not being a very good proposal, but there weren't any urban design guidelines in place that they could refer to. With that said, the Lerner proposal is definitely a huge waste of prime real estate.

[SteelCityRising]

Short-sighted urban design in Fairfax County? Wow. You could have knocked me over with a feather! How many more billions of dollars will it take to redo the "redo" of the Tysons Corner that my prior generation screwed up?

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

How many more billions of dollars will it take to redo the "redo" of the Tysons Corner that my prior generation screwed up?

Probably the same amount of $$$ that will be spent, no matter how "good" or "bad" a plan is.

Which is not to say I like this particular plan but don't kid yourselves that a plan that's judged to be "good" at this particular point in time means money will never be spent in an area again. Get real, even the best designs will be deemed "horrid" and "must be redone" by the next generation. Needs change, tastes in urban design change, and every generation feels a need to gripe about what was done by the generation before.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by dkf747

It's too expensive to be a learning process. They need to redo it right.

Given that its grandfathered under the old plan, its not absolutely clear the county can make the developer redo it. And I think its unrealistic to think there will be no learning process. I dont know of any other projects in the country quite like the Tysons rebuild, and its going to go on over decades.