Area public spaces garner planning accolades
By Tiffany Sun
October 9, 2008
SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER — At their core, both the District’s Union Station and Arlington’s Wilson and Clarendon boulevards are about getting people off the roadways.
Both were honored Wednesday by the American Planning Association, making the group’s 2008 Great Places in America list.
Union Station is a gateway to Washington for thousands of visitors and commuters each day, thanks to the Amtrak and Metro rails. The APA named it one of this year’s 10 Great Public Spaces, citing its hospitable ambiance and convenient amenities.
“From all directions, Union Station is an impressive sight: Approaching from the direction of the U.S. Capitol the central pavilion, based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome, frames the Columbus Fountain while residents arriving from the nearby Capitol Hill neighborhood walk through the loggia on their way to the subway,” said Richard Wolf, president of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society.
The station had experienced a caved-in roof less than 30 years ago, but was returned to its former glory thanks to the Union Station Redevelopment Act of 1981. On Saturday, Union Station celebrated its centennial.
Arlington’s Clarendon and Wilson boulevards were named one of 2008's Great Streets in America due to Arlington's implementation of measures that have greatly diminished residents’ dependence on automobiles.
According to statistics from the county, nearly 20 percent of Arlington residents don’t own a car, and nearly half walk, bike or take Metro to work each day.
Since Arlington officials convinced Metro in the 1970s to route the Orange Line underneath Wilson Boulevard, taking it off the path of Interstate 66, the area has blossomed into a walkable office, residential and retail environment that miraculously fended off Northern Virginia’s rise in traffic.
The area is comprised of street-level shops, eateries, nightclubs, and upper-story offices and residences.
“Many, many people — Arlington citizens, planners and leaders — have contributed significant time and energy to make Wilson and Clarendon boulevards ... what [they are] today — one of America's Great Places to live, work, and visit,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada.
The Great Places in America program concentrates on designating places of outstanding character, worth and development.
