The Richmond Highway (Route 1) Corridor in Fairfax County, Virginia, is undergoing a dynamic transformation. Strategic redevelopment of older commercial properties is creating mixed-use, walkable areas as envisioned in the Embark Comprehensive Plan. Development is spurred by two transportation projects – a road widening and streetscape project on the southern section of the corridor and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which is scheduled to start construction in 2027 and complete in 2031.

Richmond Highway has significant historical assets like George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Gum Springs Community, and Huntley Meadows Park. The neighborhoods and businesses along the Corridor are equally important and are home to a majority-minority population with more than half of all residents identifying as either Hispanic or African American. Diverse communities support diverse, local businesses and restaurants that contribute to the corridor’s identity. At the same time, many communities face challenges with housing costs, low area median incomes, and education gaps. The Corridor has historically served as both a commuter route and a “Main Street” for local communities. This presents a challenge to manage high volumes of traffic while also striving for pedestrian safety and comfort and building a sense of place.

The Embark Comprehensive Plan and the BRT projects span a 7.5 mile stretch of the Corridor from the Capital Beltway (I495) to Fort Belvoir. ULI Washington’s multidisciplinary Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) brainstormed placemaking ideas for the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation’s placemaking plan. They examined the southern 4-mile section of Richmond Highway, from the edge of the Hybla Valley/Gum Springs CBC at Lockheed Boulevard to the south boundary of the Embark Plan and BRT project at Jeff Todd Way. The goal of this TAP was to:

• Identify strategic areas and sites for placemaking efforts
• Determine modalities to enhance community identity
• Propose ideas for repurposing hardscape areas
• Propose strategies to mitigate negative impacts of roadway infrastructure projects on local businesses and residents
• Integrate new development projects into a placemaking solution

Panelists developed criteria for a replicable site selection process, identified eight potential sites for placemaking, and visualized interventions for three of these sites.

Their overall key recommendations for planning and designing of placemaking are:

1. Involve stakeholder communities in determining placemaking sites and articulation.
2. Mitigate impacts from the construction process on the community proactively.
3. Prioritize quality and programming for users with placemaking gestures in tune with the development size.
4. Prioritize ownership, adjacency, and immediacy of sites to maximize programming, safety, and use within new placemaking interventions.
5. Plant trees now to soften the landscape along Richmond Highway which currently has a severe shortage of green cover.
6. Manage placemaking sites to enable their success in the community.

Follow the links below for more information and to see the TAP presentation.