Have Your Say on Urban Design in Tysons Corner

From Fairfax County: The Tysons Urban Design Guidelines are being prepared to augment the Urban Design recommendations contained in the adopted Comprehensive Plan for Tysons. These guidelines will be used by the development community, residents, and staff to guide the rezoning and development process. They will offer specific guidance for:

• Planting design and materials
• Building Design and materials
• Urban park design and materials
• Interim condition design

Urban Design Guidelines Draft Now Available For Review

A draft of the Urban Design Guidelines is now available for review and public comment through December 30, 2011. Please submit any comments by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Urban Design Goals:

A New Grid of Streets

• Smaller blocks that foster comfortable and safe walking distances
• Lower design speeds for roadways to allow for safe crossings
• Alternative routes for both motorists and pedestrians

A Dynamic Public Realm

• Complete and walkable streets
• Pleasant, safe, and continuous tree-lined sidewalks
• Integrated and hierarchical open space system
• A prioritized pedestrian experience
• Well designed and well placed buildings that create an activated street edge
• High quality urban parks and public amenities.
• Outdoor cafés and restaurants
• On-street and underground parking structures that replace surface parking lots

Innovative Building and Site Design

• Tallest buildings located next to major roads and metro
• Innovative architecture to create a new skyline for Tysons
• Sustainable building and site elements to create LEED certified buildings and neighborhoods
• Parking structures hidden from view by locating them below grade or within a building mass
• Low Impact Development techniques to reduce urban stormwater runoff
• Connectivity and a sense of place in the interim as development occurs

Process

June 2010 – Tysons Comprehensive Plan Adopted
July 2010 – October 2011 – Preparation of Working Draft of Design Guidelines
Fall 2011 – Stakeholder and Community Outreach
Early 2012 – Adoption of Urban Design Guidelines by Board of Supervisors