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October 10, 2025
Comprehensive Plan Update Project: Guiding Principle Spotlight
Today, we’re diving into two of the American Planning Association’s six guiding principles: Livable Built Environment and Harmony with Nature
Careful planning is essential to creating livable communities and protecting our natural environment. How do we balance people, places, and nature?
Livable Built Environment
 Livability refers to how well a place meets the needs and improves the quality of life for all its residents, workers, and visitors. It means making sure our neighborhoods, streets, housing, businesses, and infrastructure all work together to create safe, healthy, sustainable, and welcoming communities. Livability focuses on creating communities that are safe, healthy, inclusive, walkable, equitable, and environmentally and economically sustainable.
Arlington is nationally recognized for its livability, sustainability, and walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods, but faces challenges with rising housing costs, aging infrastructure, and limited land. Future success will depend on updating plans, exploring housing solutions, and integrating equity and climate resilience into development while balancing growth, preservation, and infrastructure.
In Arlington, livability could be achieved through:
- Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods near transit where people live, work, shop, and play
- Diverse and affordable housing options across all neighborhoods
- Streets that support walking, biking, transit, and driving
- Parks, trees, green space, and community facilities that promote inclusion and wellbeing
- Climate-facing design and policies for resilience now and in the future
Harmony with Nature
 Harmony with nature means growing in a way that protects and maintains the natural systems, so people and the environment thrive together. Healthy environments improve public health with clean air and water, provide natural spaces for recreation, and enhance climate resilience.
Arlington is a national leader in sustainability, parks, renewable energy, and green infrastructure, but faces challenges from aging systems, past development decisions, and state restrictions. Looking ahead, the County can expand tree canopy, restore ecosystems, and grow renewable energy while navigating climate change, costs, and limited land.
In Arlington, harmony with nature could be achieved through:
- Preserving streams, forests, and tree canopy
- Adding and enhancing green spaces in urban areas and reducing paved surfaces
- Nature-based solutions for stormwater, cooling, and habitat restoration
- Expanding parks, trails, and green infrastructure
- Promoting environmental awareness, conservation, and stewardship
Your voice will help shape the introductory chapter of the Comprehensive Plan! We want to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
Share your input here now.
Please provide input by Sunday, November 16.
Join us at one of the community meetings to learn more and ask questions!
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