Elements of Urbanism: Arlington, VA

[stjr]

... The SkyTrain probably ended any meaningful debate in Jacksonville regarding transit for years, due to its poor ridership (due in no small part to the thing not being completed.) It took Miami-Dade County nearly 20 years to overcome the taint of the MetroFail and authorize a much-needed transit plan...which is a boondoggle that has produced nothing while siphoning hundreds of million of taxpayer money...thus completing a cycle of suck, and basically ensuring another 20 years of inaction.

Whatever you all decide to implement as your integrated system, it has to work, has to work well, and has to show demonstrable results. Transit is under much greater scrutiny in this country than the personal automobile; it's why the top-tier nature of your system is so integral towards its success. 

Aaron, this echoes my comments previously about the stigma of mass transit in Jax and is why I insist we need to kill off the dreaded $ky-high-way joke to pave the way for mass transit going forward in Jax.  And, it does need to be done first class, with quality, not the cheap, cheap, ways typifying Jax public projects.

[finehoe]

Just across the Key Bridge in Rosslyn a new temporary urbanism space is about to be unveiled this week on the site of a stalled Central Place office tower development. The lot is a few hundred feet from the Rosslyn Metro at the corner of Wilson Blvd and Fort Myer Drive. The colorful design incorporates a mixture of landscaping and hardscaping and features tables, chairs, canopies for shade and a stage. The Rosslyn BID has plans to program events in the space over the summer.

The Arlington County officials demonstrated a commitment to those who have invested in their community by adding a vibrant temporary use to this site.

Pics: http://www.mvtriangleblog.com/?p=1552

[finehoe]

Arlington County has topped a new list of the "Best Cities to Live in America."

Arlington received high marks for education, health and fitness, nightlife, family amenities, outdoor activities, length of commute and diversity, according to Niche.com.

"It has very high home values, very high rent costs, and very low unemployment levels," the website said. "Its citizens generally have very high education levels and very high income levels."

Arlington bested cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts and Columbia, Maryland for the top spot on the list.

"These new rankings explore 224 cities to find the best places to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities," said a Niche spokeswoman. "Our team of data scientists analyzed data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources to calculate these rankings."

https://local.niche.com/arlington-arlington-va/