City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria has been a smart growth community for over 200 years with its grid of walkable streets and mix of residential, civic, and business activity. Recognizing that the only way to deal with modern traffic and its limited land area is to apply a similar approach today, the city is focused on creating walking and biking-friendly, mixed-use, transit-oriented redevelopment.

Alexandria is making great strides with investment in new transit corridors and “complete streets” with bike lanes, better sidewalks, and safer crossings. More bike lanes, in particular, will help support the growing number of people who bike to work and around town, including those using Alexandria’s new Capital Bikeshare stations. Redevelopment plans are in place for Braddock Metro, Potomac Yard, the Beauregard Corridor, and parts of the Eisenhower Valley. With the continued attractiveness of the city, Alexandria is also seeking to partner with developers to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing.

Our Work in Alexandria

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

ADUs – including backyard cottages or a small apartment in your main home –offer less expensive housing options than renting or buying a single-family home because of their smaller size. CSG supported Alexandria’s ADU policy as a way to expand housing options, affordability, and accessibility in city neighborhoods. Learn More >>>

Better walking, biking, and transit

Alexandria continues to work towards Vision Zero designing safer streets, reducing speeding, and completing missing pedestrian and bicycle connections and making transit easier to use and more reliable. In September 2021, the City launched a redesigned DASH network and began offering free fares! The city recently approved an updated Alexandria Mobility Plan focuses on increasing walking, biking, and transit options, while making our streets safer for all users and modes. The city is also undertaking a study, called Duke Street in Motion, to improve mobility options from Landmark Mall to the King Street Metro, including plans for bus rapid transit.

Transit-Oriented Development

Alexandria continues to partner with the community in creating transit-oriented plans for a number of areas in the city. Plans are underway for redevelopment of Landmark Mall into a walkable, mixed use community to include a new NOVA Alexandria Hospital, a transit station, and affordable housing. In addition, plans for Potomac Yard, Braddock Metro, Eisenhower East and Beauregard as coming to fruition. In Potomac Yard we see new development and a walkable grid of streets, the Potomac Yard Metroway, and new Metro station under construction. The Braddock Road Metro neighborhood plan is already resulting in new residential and retail projects transforming an area of warehouses into a revitalized community with public spaces and parks, and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly streets. The Eisenhower East plan is expanding upon the Carlyle redevelopment and bringing new residents and retail life to the area.