Consultants outline two-year comprehensive-plan process, ask council to prioritize walkable nodes and mixed housing

Consultants leading Arlington’s comprehensive-plan update presented initial findings and asked the City Council to identify places and policy priorities the plan should advance.

MIG principal Jay Rankins and D'Angelos, a trends analyst with partner firm Nao, told the council the effort — branded Innovate Arlington — is structured as a roughly two-year process that is moving from baseline visioning into a planning and development phase. Rankins said, “we're talking about a 2 year process overall,” and asked council members for input on where the city should direct public and private investment.

The presentation summarized Phase 1 engagement: five steering-committee meetings, about nine stakeholder interviews so far, several focus groups, six community workshops with more than 200 participants and a community questionnaire that had received “over 300 responses” and was expected to reach 400–500. Rankins said the team will begin Phase 2 engagement later this month and will use workshops, pop-ups (including a planned pop-up at UT Arlington), focus groups and a board…