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May 26, 2026
Comprehensive Plan Update Project: Draft Arlington Guiding Principles
Today, we’re continuing our seven-part series with Livable and Thriving Arlington. This Guiding Principle and its Supporting Statements reflect community input and build on existing County-adopted policies and initiatives.
Read previous newsletter editions on other Arlington Guiding Principles:
What are Guiding Principles?
They are value-based statements that express the Comprehensive Plan's intended direction at its highest, overarching level, and guide its goals, policies, maps, and any other related components.
What are Supporting Statements?
They are descriptive statements that indicate policy direction and provide greater clarity and definition to each Guiding Principle.
View the Project Documents webpage to read more details on the County-adopted policies and initiatives with which the Guiding Principles and Supporting Statements align.
Ensure everyone can thrive in high-quality, accessible, and affordable live-work-learn-play spaces that support wellbeing and integrate Arlington’s urban and natural environments through thoughtful planning and design, coordinated infrastructure, and public services and programs.
Supporting Statements:
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World Class Placemaking and Urban Design: Create high quality spaces through visually appealing architecture, biophilic design, and culturally responsive public art that value and reflect the unique needs of Arlington’s diverse communities and neighborhoods.
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Housing that Meets Community Needs: Grow Arlington’s overall housing supply, including more affordable and accessible options throughout the County, while reducing systemic barriers to housing access.
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Walkable, Accessible, and Well-Connected Spaces: Create human scaled, well-connected public spaces that meet accessibility standards, support mixed uses, and offer walkability to daily needs, access to nature, and multimodal transportation options across the County.
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Quality Public Amenities, Services, and Infrastructure: Provide and maintain reliable, resilient, accessible, and equitably located public facilities and infrastructure to meet current and future community needs.
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Rich Cultural Heritage & Identity: Strengthen Arlington’s identity by protecting historic resources, highlighting cultural heritage and locally inspired architecture, urban design, and art to shape a public realm that reflects the County’s diverse community stories and character.
Community feedback on these draft Arlington Guiding Principles and Supporting Statements is essential so that community members' lived experiences, needs, and values are reflected in the Comprehensive Plan Introduction.
Share your input here now.
Please provide input by Sunday, June 7.
Drop in to our open office hours or visit us at a pop-up to learn more and ask questions!
Office Hours
- Tuesday, June 2, 12-2 p.m., Hendry House
- Tuesday, June 2, 6-8 p.m., Hendry House
Pop-ups
- Saturday, May 30, MetPark Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Sunday, May 31, Columbia Pike Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
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