BUILDING TACTICAL REVITALIZATION PLAN DOWNTOWN

Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan
Arlington, VA
PROJECT DETAILS
Project Area: Approx. 450 acres along a
3.5 mile corridor
Client:
Arlington County
Year Adopted 2012
Website: columbiapikeva.us
For more information, visit doverkohl.com.
Existing conditions in the Central Pike area
Proposed public improvements include the planned
streetcar, generous planting areas for street trees,
and a wide sidewalk.
Residential areas along the Pike should differ in
character from the mixed-use nodes; new streetoriented
buildings are placed behind a small dooryard,
completing the highly walkable streetscape.
Central Pike area, showing transition from existing single family homes to greater density on the Pike.
The Project
The Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Area Plan is the final phase of the Columbia Pike Initiative, an effort
begun in the late 1990s to build a safer, cleaner, more competitive and vibrant community. Dover-Kohl
began working with Arlington County in 2002 on a plan focused on Columbia Pike’s commercial centers
(called the Revitalization District Nodes), resulting in a Form-Based Code (FBC) that has helped to
unlock development potential and encouraged new pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development. In
2010, the Dover-Kohl team began work on the Neighborhoods Plan, a second phase of planning for the
residential areas surrounding the mixed-use nodes. The purpose of this Plan is to guide future public
and private investment decisions to implement community goals such as enhancing the quality of
life along the corridor, creating a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly community, supporting the planned
streetcar investment coming to the Pike, and, importantly, sustaining a supply of housing to serve a
community with a broad mix of incomes. Dover, Kohl & Partners is leading a consultant team including
Ferrell Madden, Partners for Economic Solutions, UrbanAdvantage, and AECOM.
The Process
Public participation played a critical role in the creation of the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Area
Plan. The process was designed to be a collaborative effort, with many opportunities for feedback
and interaction between the consultant team, County staff and Arlington community, so that the final
policies and action items will reflect the goals and desires of the community. The first step was to
conduct a preliminary economic and urban form analysis, including interviews and workshops with
property owners, stakeholders and the community to gain better understanding of the economic dynamics
facing development and preservation in the study area. In June 2011, a public charrette was
held for the community to work in a hands-on, visual method with the consultant team to apply the
knowledge gained through the preliminary analysis and to create a draft plan for the future of the
greater Pike corridor.
Status
The Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Area Plan was adopted unanimously by the Arlington County Board
on July 23, 2012. Work has begun on the accompanying Form-Based Code which will help achieve
many goals of the Plan.
3.12
Dover, Kohl & Partners et al
January 11, 2013