Redesigning Tysons Corner

Fairfax County now has the opportunity to transform Tysons Corner from a disconnected traffic-choked environment to a vital urban center friendly to pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.

A New Vision for Tysons Corner: A Watershed Moment

With a unanimous vote of approval in September 2008, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors endorsed the recommendations of the Tysons Corner Task Force and laid the foundation for a walkable, urban Tysons Corner. The Task Force recommended compact development near the four planned Metro stations and along internal transit circulators, mixed-use residential and commercial neighborhoods, green-building requirements, major reductions in stormwater runoff, 20% affordable and workforce housing, and a walkable and bicycle-friendly street design to reduce traffic.

The new Tysons Corner will have improved transit, more green spaces, workforce housing and LEED efficient buildings.

This watershed moment was achieved in part due to the persistent advocacy of Citizens for a Sustainable Tysons, a campaign by Fairfax environmentalists and groups including the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Sierra Club and the Audubon Naturalist Society. Over five hundred citizens have helped to shape the debate by signing the petition supporting a Sustainable Tysons.

The Way Forward

Many implementation steps remain including comprehensive plan language, design standards, and parking and transit initiatives. We will keep you informed and hope that you will stay involved by submitting public comments, writing elected officials and testifying at public hearings.

With good implementation, the plan that has been approved will reduce growth in traffic, provide more transportation and housing options, enhance property values in surrounding neighborhoods, reduce reliance on residential property taxes for services, and reduce energy use and climate change emissions.

Together we can create a global model for a green and sustainable urban community that will benefit Fairfax and the entire region.