By Roger K. Lewis
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Tysons Corner presents an extraordinary challenge and opportunity. No longer suburban, Tysons begs to be properly urbanized through visionary planning. Such planning could radically yet constructively transform one of the nation's most unattractive and dysfunctional environments.
But can Northern Virginia residents and political leaders meet the challenge and create a sufficiently visionary plan? And can that plan win the support and investment needed to exploit this opportunity?
Let's start with what makes Tysons extraordinary: its established identity as a locus of retail, business and residency within the national capital region. Recall its enormous size -- about 1,700 acres. That's larger than downtowns of many major American cities. Consider its strategic location and favorable transportation access -- three arterial highways, plus the four Metro stations that are planned for the Metro extension to Dulles International Airport.
But Tysons Corner is also unusual because its existing pattern of land use and development is so irregular and chaotic.
A woefully inadequate road network, huge blocks and extreme diversity in density and building mass define its unsightly character. High-rise towers cast shadows across one-story commercial strips, while car dealerships and free-standing stores face gigantic shopping malls.
Providing for automobiles shaped Tysons Corner's planning almost half a century ago. Today's traffic jams reveal how flawed that planning proved to be. And you don't have to be a transportation expert to understand why the traffic nightmare persists: too few streets. Even if existing streets were widened, the overall network is incapable of effectively accommodating and dispersing traffic.
Nevertheless, the formless mosaic of properties and dysfunctional street network of Tysons make radical transformation possible. There's enough undeveloped or underdeveloped land -- parking lots, building setbacks, low-density parcels -- to allow a new pattern of streets and blocks to be superimposed. Indeed, a rational grid of streets, with smaller and more densely developed blocks, is exactly what's required to make dysfunctional Tysons functional.
In addition to successfully accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as cars, a new street-block pattern would make Tysons much more attractive.
Imagine Tysons with tree-lined streets, squares and parks framed by multi-story buildings designed for retail, offices, residences, culture and recreation. Imagine being able to walk on sidewalks animated round-the-clock by storefronts and cafes.
This is not just a romantic vision advocated by architects and urban designers. Implementing this vision would be economically feasible and prudent.
Parts of a new Tysons street grid, superimposed on privately owned parcels, would require property owners to dedicate public rights of way. As compensation and incentive for owners, density on land not dedicated would be increased.
More uses and higher density would greatly increase business and retail activity, produce many more jobs, and add inhabitants. Revenue from taxes -- income, sales and real estate -- would rise substantially.
The new revenue and public-sector investment, coupled with project-related private investment, could finance all the new infrastructure -- streets, utilities, schools, parks, public facilities -- necessary for a more intensely developed Tysons.
A reconfigured, denser Tysons Corner, with green roofs and well-landscaped public spaces, also could yield environmental benefits. Gasoline consumption and carbon emissions would decrease as those living and working in Tysons could commute on foot or by bus or bicycle, rather than by car. Residents, workers and visitors wouldn't be forced to drive to go to lunch or shop.
Why do some Tysons inhabitants and neighbors express skepticism or even outright opposition to an ambitious redo?
They are naturally anxious about the scale and potentially negative impact of significant change. They worry that, if road network capacity doesn't improve, new development will spawn ever more traffic congestion. They wonder about the costs associated with new streets and schools and about who will pay. Some, incorrectly assuming that density automatically diminishes community quality, may think their property values and lifestyle will be compromised.
Some are skeptical about politicians and property developers, who they fear will be unable or unwilling to deliver everything that is promised in redevelopment plans.
For these reasons, Fairfax County and the state must adopt more than just a visionary physical concept for Tysons Corner. In addition to delineating new patterns of use, density and mobility, a comprehensive plan for Tysons must include a detailed economic plan and implementation strategy. A credible capital improvement program must describe in detail specific public infrastructure projects, budgets, sources of revenue and development schedules. Public and private responsibilities must be identified, assigned and coordinated.
Often criticized as an ugly "edge city," Tysons Corner could be the national model for suburban transformation. With so much possible, aiming high can not only yield a compelling vision but also bring that vision to fruition. Otherwise, why bother?
Roger K. Lewis is a practicing architect and a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Maryland.
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