Fairfax - Greater Greater Washington

Bikeshare to Fairfax?

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:29:00 EDT

Fairfax is applying for funding to do a bikeshare feasibility study. Right now the focus is on bringing Capital Bikeshare to Reston. (FABB)

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Route 1 urban or suburban?

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:50:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A Costco with a huge parking lot and a dense mixed-use development are both coming to Route 1. Does Fairfax want it to be a walkable urban corridor or strip malls? (WAMU)

Comment

Bike to work and school, and much more on the calendar

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:47:00 EDT

by David Alpert

May is a great month to bike to school or work (and so is every other month!) Tomorrow is the national Bike to School Day, Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 17, and Greenbelt is having a vintage New Deal-themed bike ride later this month.

Photo from WalkBikeToSchool.org.

Also, there are public meetings to learn about and weigh in on some of the most important questions shaping our communities, like what the Purple Line will look like and how tall buildings should be in DC, a more walkable Route 1 in Fairfax, and Montgomery's Bus Rapid Transit plans, and more.

Here's what's coming up on the Greater Greater Washington calendar:

Purple Line open houses: The Maryland MTA is holding 5 open houses to inform residents about the Purple Line, now looking a lot more likely to actually become a reality. They're tonight (Tuesday) in Silver Spring, Thursday 5/9 in Riverdale, Saturday 5/11 in Langley Park, Tuesday 5/14 in Bethesda, and Wednesday 5/15 at Woodridge Elementary School in Hyattsville. Each is 5-8 pm, except the Saturday one which is 11-2.

Bike to school: If you have children in school and don't bike to school regularly, tomorrow is a great time to try. 17 DC schools are participating, and for the dozen on those which are on Capitol Hill, families can congregate in Lincoln Park for an event featuring Ray LaHood, then form bike trains to the schools. Sandra Moscoso has more on Greater Greater Education.

Walk Route 1: CSG's next walking tour looks at Route 1 in Fairfax, the oft-forgotten highway where big box sprawl has the potential to become eco-friendly, walkable communities. Volunteers will help groups take the bus from Huntington Metro for those arriving by transit. RSVP before it's full!

Height "master plan" meetings: The National Capital Planning Commission and DC Office of Planning are working together on a study that might recommend changes to the federal height limit, or might not. Regardless, the issue is sure to be completely noncontroversial, since as we know nobody ever wants to argue about the height limit. (Kidding.) The first public involvement is next week, with a meeting Monday, May 13, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Petworth Library, and then Saturday, May 18, 10:30-12:30 at the MLK Library by Gallery Place Metro.

Learn about, push for BRT: There's a big hearing on Montgomery County's BRT plans on Thursday, May 16, 6-9 pm in Silver Spring. Can you testify? Also, Montgomery transportation planner Larry Cole will talk about BRT as well as MARC expansion at ACT's monthly meeting Tuesday, May 14, 7:30 pm in Silver Spring.

What's up with Pennsylvania and Potomac? The second public meeting on the intersection at Potomac Avenue Metro is Thursday, May 16, 6:30-8:30 pm at Payne Elementary. Have DDOT and its consultants listened made the early designs even better to walk and bike, or have they gotten worse? We'll find out!

Bike to work: Just a little over a week after Bike to School Day (but much farther down our chronological calendar) is Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17. Pledge to ride, stop by one of the pit stops around the region, join one of the commuter convoys along popular routes, and support almost all of the event sponsors.

Talk Smart Growth with David Grosso: Ward 3 Vision, the smart growth resident group in upper Northwest DC, is having a meet and greet on Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 pm at Guapo's by the Tenleytown Metro. At-large councilmember David Grosso will be there to hear from you about your vision for a more walkable and vibrant Ward 3 and all of DC.

Roosevelt Ride: Ride around Greenbelt, the New Deal planned community, in your best New Deal-era attire, followed by a picnic. You can also get a free tour of the Greenbelt Museum, which shows how families lived in what was built as working-class housing in 1937. That's Sunday, May 26; the ride starts at 11, the picnic after, and the tours at 1.

Have an event we should consider including on the ? Send them to events@ggwash.org. Please include a URL to a webpage that has the information about your event as well, so that we can link directly to your event.

3 comments

Tysons Corner skyscraper will be region�s tallest

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:01:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff

A proposed skyscraper in Tysons Corner will be 435 feet tall, making it the tallest in the DC region, and first to breach the 400 foot threshold. The building is proposed as part of the SAIC redevelopment, adjacent to the Silver Line's Greensboro Metro station.

SAIC Westpark. Image by FXFOWLE, published online by The Tysons Corner.

Traditionally, the tallest skyscrapers in the region have been in Rosslyn. But Rosslyn is in the flight path to National Airport, so buildings there can't rise higher than 400 feet. A bevy of development projects in Rosslyn, Alexandria, Tysons, and North Bethesda are in the 300-400 foot range, but this is the first serious proposal to crack 400 feet.

Outside the DC region, Maryland's tallest building is 528 feet, and Virginia's is 508 feet. Richmond's is 449 feet.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

28 comments

Walk the long way to VRE

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:37:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

VRE is warning people not to cross the railroad tracks in Burke. The shortcut shaves a several-block detour and Fairfax hopes to build a pedestrian bridge, but that won't happen for years. (WTOP)

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Fairfax re-connects

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:42:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Fairfax Connector is adjusting routes for the coming Silver Line, but some worry there won't be enough parking at the new stations, causing overflow into neighborhoods. (WTOP)

Comment

Carbon emissions in Fairfax

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:42:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

37% of carbon emissions in Fairfax County come from transportation. And 70% of the increase in transportation emissions since 2006 come from people just passing through the county. (FABB)

Comment

Half-million-dollar highway signs?

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:19:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax County says it will spend $500,000 on traffic signs at the I-395 off-ramp onto Route 236. Will this get the same media attention as Arlington's million-dollar bus stop? (Ben Ross)

Comment

Richmond Highway revitalizing, but many challenges remain (Mar 5, 2012)
Suburban buses needn't baffle inexperienced riders (Nov 9, 2011)
Make Fairfax Circle a real circle (Nov 6, 2009)
Arlington trail signs improve wayfinding, mostly (Mar 30, 2012)
Seven Corners pedestrian overpass opens tomorrow (May 19, 2009)

Walk safe in Fairfax

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:27:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

In time for spring, Fairfax County Police have started stepping up pedestrian safety enforcement. Police will ticket drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians and fine pedestrians who don't use the crosswalk. (WTOP)

Comment

Maryland, Virginia, fund these projects!

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:57:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff

Maryland and Virginia will both enact major new transportation funding bills this year. Neither bill says exactly which projects will be funded, but here are the top 10 projects in Maryland and Virginia that most deserve to get some of the funds.

Tysons grid of streets, no. 2. Image from Fairfax County.

1. 8-car Metro trains: Metrorail is near capacity, especially in Virginia. More Metro railcars and the infrastructure they need (like power systems and yard space) would mean more 8-car trains on the Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines.

2. Tysons grid of streets: Tysons Corner has more office space than downtown Baltimore and Richmond put together. Converting it to a functional urban place is a huge priority.

3. Purple Line: Bethesda, Silver Spring, Langley Park, College Park, New Carrollton. That's a serious string of transit-friendly pearls. The Purple Line will be one of America's best light rail lines on the day it opens.

4. Baltimore Red Line: Baltimore has a subway line and a light rail line, but they don't work together very well as a system. The Red Line will greatly improve the reach of Baltimore's rail system.

5. Silver Line Phase 2: The Silver Line extension from Reston to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County is one of the few projects that was earmarked in Virginia's bill, to the tune of $300 million.

6. Arlington streetcars: The Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcars both have funding plans already, but could potentially be accelerated.

7. Route 7 transit. Leesburg Pike is the next Rosslyn-Ballston corridor waiting to happen. Virginia is just beginning to study either a light rail or BRT line along it.

8. Corridor Cities Transitway: Gaithersburg has been waiting decades for a quality transit line to build around. BRT will finally connect the many New Urbanist communities there, which are internally walkable but rely on cars for long-range connections.

Corridor Cities Transitway, no. 8. Image from Maryland MTA.

9. MARC enhancements: MARC is a decent commuter rail, but it could be so much more. Some day it could be more like New York's Metro North or Philadelphia's SEPTA regional rail, with hourly trains all day long, even on weekends.

10. Alexandria BRT network: This will make nearly all of Alexandria accessible via high-quality transit.

Honorable mentions: Montgomery County BRT network, Potomac Yard Metro station, Virginia Beach light rail, Southern Maryland light rail, and VRE platform extensions.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

51 comments

WaWa = poor suburban planning?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:41:00 EDT

by Jereme Altendorf

WaWa wants to build a 5,330 square foot store in Loudoun County, near the Fairfax line, but Herndon objects to "piecemeal strip development" not far from future Silver Line stations. (WBJ)

Comment

Roads vs. rails

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:35:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

To relieve congestion on I-66 outside the Beltway, Fairfax Supervisor Pat Herrity wants I-66 express lanes while Reps. Jim Moran and Gerry Connolly want Metro extended to Centreville. (Examiner)

Comment

Fairfax sneers at PG

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:28:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax County's economic development authority head made an offensive crack at Prince George's, joking that it should get the FBI because the criminals are there, basically. Everybody at the meeting was pretty shocked. (WBJ)

Comment

Fairfax greasing the chain (Oct 8, 2009)
Fairfax, PG worst for pedestrian safety (Apr 23, 2008)
What parts of the Metro have the best Walk Score? (Mar 8, 2012)
To lure the FBI, Prince George's must be more nimble (Feb 13, 2012)
Doing well by doing good (Aug 17, 2009)

And...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:49:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Metro's Accessibility Advisory Committee is looking for new members. (Post) ... Fairfax County may soon add 911 texting. (WTOP) ... Volvos can now detect and avoid cyclists in the path of a car. (BBC, Andrew Schmadel) ... Kojo talks bikes today.

Comment

And...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:41:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Bike advocates come to DC to ask Congress for more infrastructure. (WAMU) ... The DC government will get all its power from wind. (DCist) ... Bike crashes rise 26% from the previous year in Fairfax County, and police are working on mapping them. (FABB)

Comment

Fairfax considers red light cameras

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:52:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax supervisors might try red light cameras again after reading a study that they "dramatically improved safety" in Arlington. Alexandria and Fairfax City also use them. (Post)

Comment

And...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:05:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax residents want to keep 2 express buses to the Pentagon. (WTOP) ... Sequestration could close the panda exhibit at the zoo. (DCist) ... LivingSocial might have been in even more trouble than previously reported, but they say no. (WBJ)

Comment

Fairfax raises express bus fares, ridership plummets on one line (Aug 31, 2009)
Fairfax County proposes bus route cuts (Mar 24, 2009)
Do Fairfax's higher fare bus lines make a profit? (Sep 1, 2009)
Fairfax to restore Connector, make room for WMATA (Apr 19, 2010)
Suburban buses needn't baffle inexperienced riders (Nov 9, 2011)

The future of Fairfax is smart growth

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:12:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Fairfax chairman Sharon Bulova said in her State of the County address that walkable, mixed use, transit-oriented redevelopment is Fairfax County's future, using examples like Tysons, Springfield, and Merrifield. (Post)

Comment

Fairfax residents: ask your reps to stand by their vote against I-66 (Feb 23, 2009)
Sharon Bulova for Fairfax Chair (Feb 2, 2009)
Bulova: Tysons $15 billion is false (Nov 4, 2009)
Tysons highlighted as global example for smart growth (Jan 29, 2011)
Merrifield: Fairfax's first try at TOD (Jan 7, 2009)

Don't play favorites

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:40:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Some other county officials are not happy about what they think is WMATA favoring Prince George's County in the bidding for the new FBI headquarters. (Post)

Comment

What parts of the Metro have the best Walk Score? (Mar 8, 2012)
Greenbelt advocates educate bus riders on changes (Dec 16, 2010)
Morgan Boulevard Metro is the best site for the FBI (Feb 14, 2012)
To lure the FBI, Prince George's must be more nimble (Feb 13, 2012)
Metro tests secure parking with new "bike and ride" (May 15, 2012)

Widening pressure never ends

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:46:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax County supervisor Pat Herrity wants to study widening the Fairfax County Parkway, but colleague Catherine Hudgins thinks transit service would do more to move people and also not destroy homes. (Examiner)

Comment

I-66 widening vote increases ire in Eric Weiss's head (Feb 23, 2009)
Fairfax residents: Call or email your supervisors (Feb 22, 2010)
Fairfax residents: ask your reps to stand by their vote against I-66 (Feb 23, 2009)
Feds, Maryland examine widening Balt.-Wash. Parkway (Feb 22, 2012)
Sharon Bulova for Fairfax Chair (Feb 2, 2009)

FBI is for Franconia Building Imminent?

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:02:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Fairfax is pushing for the FBI to go near Franconia-Springfield, where several large landowners are interested. Will Prince George's get its act together enough to seriously compete? (Post)

Comment

Old Keene Mill Road is far from a complete street (Oct 18, 2011)
Morgan Boulevard Metro is the best site for the FBI (Feb 14, 2012)
Retailers are embracing urbanism with zeal (Jan 18, 2012)
Bulova: Tysons $15 billion is false (Nov 4, 2009)
Doing well by doing good (Aug 17, 2009)

HOA goes off cliff over Obama sign

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:02:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A Fairfax County homeowners' association is now bankrupt and might have to sell its central town square after spending $400,000 to fight a property owner who put up an Obama lawn sign in 2008. (Post)

Comment

Transit advocates get younger every day (Oct 24, 2008)
Obama supports congestion pricing (Mar 28, 2008)
Arlington rental proposal brings out immigrant phobia (May 14, 2008)
Fairfax to restore Connector, make room for WMATA (Apr 19, 2010)
Proposed Tysons Metro station names are still a little dull (Oct 21, 2010)

VDOT ignores pleas, crash happens

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:48:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A cyclist tries in vain to get VDOT and Fairfax County to post signs, paint lines, or do anything about a spot on Richmond Highway that's a crash waiting to happen. Then, he gets hit at that very spot. (FABB)

Comment

Halsey veers from bike tragedy to ethnic generalizations (May 24, 2010)
Turn Richmond Highway back into a string of distinct places (Jun 26, 2012)
VDOT was supposed to install signal where pedestrian killed (Oct 17, 2010)
VDOT ignores own data, pushes widening I-66 (May 17, 2012)
Richmond Highway revitalizing, but many challenges remain (Mar 5, 2012)

Bright hopes, some obstacles for Northern Virginia streetcars

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:15:00 EDT

by Agnès Artemel

Streetcar supporters in Northern Virginia hope to see streetcar lines traversing many of Northern Virginia's cities and counties, linking housing to employment centers within and across jurisdictions, often retracing routes operated decades ago.

A modern streetcar. Photo from Arlington County.

To get streetcars across boundaries, however, the many local governments must coordinate their plans and deal with differences in their abilities to fund projects.

The Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition's top priority this year is supporting Arlington's plans for the Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar lines. It also will encourage other cities and counties to consider streetcar options.

Arlington has steadfastly supported a vision of smart growth around transit nodes and multimodal transportation options for a great many years. Thanks to this consistency, their work has paid off in positioning Arlington as a good place to live and work.

By selecting streetcar rather than some variety of enhanced bus service, Arlington is reinforcing its past planning efforts by providing investors and developers along the two corridors with the certainty that only a commitment to a fixed alignment can give.

Arlington and Fairfax counties worked together on plans for high-capacity transit along Columbia Pike for several years, and in July 2012 voted to select streetcar as the preferred option for Columbia Pike and apply for federal funding. Arlington also plans a streetcar line for Crystal City to connect with the Columbia Pike line.

The 5 mile long Columbia Pike line, as currently planned, will cross into Fairfax County, terminating at Skyline. The 2½ mile long Crystal City line, on the other hand, will terminate at Four Mile Run, the boundary between Arlington and Alexandria.

Proposed streetcar alignments in Arlington. Image from Arlington County.

Meanwhile, Alexandria has been studying transit for Route 1 and the Beauregard/Van Dorn transit corridors. NVSC wants to ensure no decisions would preclude using streetcars in those areas.

NVSC also will encourage Fairfax County to expand its streetcar lines beyond Skyline, going either toward Falls Church along Route 7, toward Northern Virginia Community College and the Mark Center east of Skyline, or along Route 1 south of Alexandria. Finally, ongoing studies in various jurisdictions could identify additional corridors suitable for streetcars.

Leaders emphasize need for transit, desire to coordinate

In November, the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition hosted a public meeting where leaders from Arlington, Fairfax County, Alexandria, and Falls Church discussed, in a spirited but positive manner, regional cooperation in planning high-capacity transit.

They saw Northern Virginia's future as multimodal, with mixed uses around transit stations. Then-Arlington Board Chair Mary Hynes noted that Virginia commuters to DC must cross Arlington. Without its multi-modal strategy, she said, the county would "become a parking lot."

All of the officials emphasized that the jurisdictions want work together, and have coordinated in many ways. However, due to differences in funds available for transit and each jurisdiction's priorities, it has not always been possible to think regionally in spite of best intentions.

Arlington has been more successful at raising funds for transportation capital projects than its neighbors, partially due to its more balanced ratio of commercial to residential property and its commercial add-on tax for transportation.

Paul Smedberg, a member of the Alexandria City Council, spoke of the need for a streetcar connection to the BRAC-133 building at Mark Center. Fairfax Supervisor Penny Gross said that although extensions to the Columbia Pike line are desirable, it was important to get the first segment built rather than bogging down the whole process by considering alternatives.

Former Falls Church City Council member Dan Maller, standing in for Vice-Mayor David Snyder, noted that he was eager to work with Fairfax on a Route 7 extension to Falls Church. Somewhat reassuringly, Alexandrians learned that they would have continuous transit options to get from their city to Arlington without transferring at Four Mile Run—although presently these are bus options rather than streetcar options.

As local and regional plans for high-capacity transit develop, decision-makers must think long-term and regionally. Not every transit route is suitable for streetcars, but where cities and counties want environmentally-sound, reliable, clean transportation that also contributes to local economic development, they should consider streetcar lines and ensure they can interoperate across jurisdictional boundaries now and in the future.

37 comments

Streetcar backers ask NoVA officials to cooperate on transit (Nov 12, 2012)
Virginia's answer to DC's streetcars (Dec 18, 2009)
How will Virginia brand its streetcars? (Feb 22, 2011)
Tell Arlington to build the Columbia Pike streetcar (Jul 20, 2012)
Columbia Pike needs streetcars, not articulated buses (Jun 18, 2012)

Like a big city, Tysons will be a transit hub

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:35:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff

Tysons Corner has more office space than downtown Baltimore, Richmond, and Norfolk put together. It should be the center its own large transit network. The Silver Line and express buses on the Beltway HOT lanes are good first steps, but in the long run Tysons is going to need more routes, connecting it to more places.

In the long run, Tysons needs something more like this:

In recent years, planners in Virginia have begun to seriously consider a Tysons-centric rapid transit network. It doesn't have a name, and isn't officially separate from any of the other transportation planning going on in the region, but it shows up on long range regional plans like SuperNoVa and TransAction.

In addition to the Silver Line, HOT Lanes Buses, and Tysons' internal circulation network, officials are beginning to study light rail connections to Maryland, Falls Church, and Merrifield, and BRT on the Chain Bridge Road corridor.

It will be years before any of these additional routes are implemented, and they could look very different from this map once they finally are. Details don't exist yet, because at this point these are little more than ideas.

But to work as the urban place Fairfax County officials hope Tysons will become, this is the sort of regional infrastructure it's going to need.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

89 comments

What's the status of our major transit projects? (Jun 29, 2011)
Proposed Tysons Metro station names are still a little dull (Oct 21, 2010)
Route 7 needs transit to get people to Tysons (Dec 6, 2012)
Don't cut new Tysons Corner in two (Jan 26, 2012)
Crossing Route 7 will mean long waits in Tysons (Jun 14, 2010)

Tysons gets buses

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:37:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Fairfax plans new bus service in Tysons to transport Silver Line riders. A circulator will serve all 4 Tysons stations every 10 minutes. (Post)

Comment

The last mile in Tysons Corner, part 1: The problem (Mar 3, 2010)
Rein's "OMG $15 billion" Tysons costs include transportation far from Tysons (Oct 30, 2009)
Proposed Tysons Metro station names are still a little dull (Oct 21, 2010)
Bulova: Tysons $15 billion is false (Nov 4, 2009)
The last mile in Tysons Corner, part 2: Busways (Mar 4, 2010)

"Real doors" give human scale to large apartment buildings

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:56:00 EDT

by Dan Reed

Houses have their perks: a yard, a private entrance, and a sense of individuality. Apartments have theirs as well: they're affordable, low-maintenance, and have lots of shared amenities. What if you could get best of both worlds? Apartment communities being built in the area are doing just that with something called "real doors."

"Real doors" in Portland. All photos by the author unless noted.

What are "real doors"? Basically, it's when a multi-family building contains ground-floor apartments or rowhouses with private entrances opening directly to the street. Instead of walking by blank walls or loading docks, you'd pass doors, stoops, porches and more importantly, people.

This is by no means a new idea, but "real doors" have become especially relevant as a way to give large buildings human scale. Danish urban designer Jan Gehl notes that our field of view doesn't go far above eye level, so most pedestrians only pay attention to details at the street level. You might think you're walking by a block of rowhouses, but they could just be the base of a high-rise.

"Real doors" also make streets safer by providing more "eyes on the street." They give residents the privacy and individuality of a house with the communal amenities and low maintenance of an apartment. And they allow architects and developers to provide so-called "missing middle" house types that could accommodate families, like rowhouses, in areas where land values are so high that they're not economically feasible.

I got to see the benefits of "real doors" firsthand in Philadelphia, where for two years I lived on the ground floor of a 100-year-old house that had been turned into apartments decades ago. My roommate and I had affordable rent, just enough space and a doting landlord. We could also walk out from our living room to the front porch, out to the street, and around to the back yard, which made it feel like a house.

"Real doors" have become part of the design culture in places like Vancouver, where former planning director Brent Toderian jokes that they're great for trick-or-treating. Residential projects across Greater Washington have started including them as well, especially in White Flint, where it supports the urban design goals of its Sector Plan. Two projects being built there, Pike + Rose and Archstone Old Georgetown Road, will include them.

However, not all "real doors" are created equal. Done poorly, they can look like an afterthought, feel anonymous and compromise privacy. Let's look at some examples from around the area and the country:

Good

Ground-floor apartment at Halstead Square in Merrifield.

These are "real doors" at Halstead Square, an apartment and retail complex being built in Merrifield. (Check out some more pictures.) These doors belong to single-story, one-bedroom apartments, and each one has a little stoop and an address number. The floor-to-ceiling windows are nice, but they're so close to the ground that people walking by can easily look in.

Tall stoops at Citron in Silver Spring.

At Citron, an apartment building under construction in downtown Silver Spring, "real doors" help it relate to the single-family homes across the street. The ground-floor units are high enough to be private, which would've been a nice opportunity to expand those stoops into porches.

Better

Ground-floor duplexes at the Market Common in Clarendon.

These ground-floor rowhouses at the Market Common in Clarendon each have different-colored doors, giving them their own identity. The building as a whole has similar materials and detailing as the actual rowhouses at the end of the block, helping it blend in.

"Real doors" with private yards at the Silverton. Image from Google Street View.

These "real doors" at the Silverton in South Silver Spring are set back from the street, which provides room for a semi-private, gated patio with enough room for a table and chairs. Though they have big, low windows like Halstead Square, the trees help give shade and privacy. I might have made the doors themselves more distinctive, perhaps with a different paint color or frosted glass panels.

Best

These rowhouses at Eliot Tower in Portland have raised decks.

The best "real doors" I've found are on the West Coast. This is the Eliot Tower in downtown Portland, a tower with two-story rowhouses at its base. Each house has a front deck raised several steps above the street, and you can see how each deck has a tree or some leafy plants for privacy and visual impact.

Rowhouses with yards at the Meriwether in Portland.

At the Meriwether, a tower in Portland's Southwest Waterfront, there are ground-floor rowhouses set behind little yards. Not only do they provide a buffer from the street, but they appear to be part of a bioswale that collects and filters runoff water before it heads to the Willamette River, a few hundred yards away. You can see each house has decks on multiple floors, giving it plenty of outdoor space. And residents have them their own, judging from these hot pink Adirondack chairs.

Worst

Less-than-great "real doors" at Lofts 24 in Silver Spring. Image from Google Street View.

Believe it or not, this is the entrance to two ground-floor condominiums at Lofts 24, also in downtown Silver Spring. Other than the welcome mat outside the door on the right, there's no indication that people actually live here.

Rather than a house, this feels like the entrance to a storage unit. There are no street numbers, no individual open space, and no buffer from the street. The only landscaping are bushes that cover the windows.

Check out these examples of "real doors" from around the region and country.

While these examples aren't perfect, they show the opportunities and challenges of providing "real doors." The scale of development in many urban neighborhoods has gotten bigger, but humans generally remain the same size, so we still have to design to that scale.

Not only can "real doors" make otherwise big buildings feel more comfortable, but they can make safer and more visually attractive streets and offer people a desirable mix of house and apartment living. That is, if we do them right.

This content was originally developed for the Friends of White Flint blog.

28 comments

New building raises Silver Spring's urban design standard (Jan 31, 2012)
Silver Spring's Ripley District becoming a neighborhood (Jul 18, 2012)
How Silver Spring Park could be a good neighbor (Feb 23, 2010)
Different housing types can mix if designed propertly (Nov 7, 2011)
Old buildings are the key to affordability (Jan 19, 2012)