Tysons Corner Transformation
Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States
Client: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: Planning
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated area in Fairfax County, Virginia along the Capital Beltway (I-495) outside Washington, DC. It is the nation’s 12th-largest employment center and the economic engine of northern Virginia, but its success has led to heavy traffic congestion. In order to enjoy continued success, Tysons Corner needed an integrated downtown strategy that would fundamentally transform it from a car-centered business district to a diverse, lively, walkable urban center.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed a 37-member task force to change the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The task force consisted of residents, businesses, developers, major employers, and community and civic organizations. Parsons Brinckerhoff worked with the task force to guide the creation of a new long-range vision and recommended changes to the comprehensive plan for Tysons Corner.
With the coming of the Washington Metrorail to Tysons as a catalyst for change, the task force established principles such as redesigning the transportation network to balance walking, biking, transit and the automobile. Next the task force and the public undertook a systematic process of examining alternative futures, gradually sharpening their focus on scenarios that could work for Tysons.
The recommendations encouraged an influx of housing— projected to accommodate 100,000 residents. Restored streams, new parks and green buildings were also proposed to further enhance sustainability and appeal. With 95% of the development within an easy walk of transit, the plan will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16% per capita.
The recommendations were accepted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September 2008.