How office development rules limit walkability in Tysons

When Fairfax County policymakers adopted a plan for redevelopment in Tysons in 2010, improving walkability was a key objective. The plan architects framed walkability as a way to improve Tysons’ position as “downtown Fairfax,” keeping it competitive with office markets in Arlington and DC that offered their tenants more vibrant neighborhoods.
But while new developments in Tysons are improving the area’s density and walkability, some of them retain characteristics of the county’s historically suburban character. In particular, regulatory barriers prevent office development in Tysons from having the features of the most walkable pedestrian environments.
Traits of walkability
In the most walkable places, buildings have no setbacks. Facades abut their property lines, and neighboring buildings share walls. Many urbanists agree that buildings should be at least as tall as the width of the right-of-way between them, and in some of the most pleasant pedestrian environments, that ratio is significantly higher. These proportions create a sense of enclosure for pedestrians. The Tysons Urban Design Guidelines are full of inspirational images from some of the country’s most walkable neighborhoods, like the New York City neighborhood seen in this example below.

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