Planning staff report early engagement results for comprehensive plan; mobility, neighborhoods and parks top priorities

John Chapman, Long Range Planning Manager, and engagement consultant Robin Williams briefed the council on June 10 about Phase 1 public engagement for Arlington’s comprehensive-plan update.

Chapman said the project collected about 407 online questionnaire responses and held six workshops (one in each council district) plus pop-up events that reached hundreds more in person; overall outreach materials reached an estimated 85,000 residents. Key themes were consistent across engagement channels: respondents cited Arlington’s location, sports and entertainment venues, parks and recreation and arts and culture as strengths; they identified traffic congestion, public safety and infrastructure funding as top concerns; and they prioritized walkability, safer biking routes, reinvestment in existing neighborhoods and mixed-use centers as desired improvements.

Williams provided survey demographics: most respondents (72.3%) had lived in Arlington 10 or more years; respondents skewed older, with the largest share aged 65 and older; 94% of survey responses were in English though materials were also available in Spanish and Vietnamese. Geographic preferences included central Arlington for both housing and employment growth, a preference for minimal change in certain north neighborhoods, balanced growth in the southwest, and interest in mixed-use development in the east.

Council members asked about total unique participants and plans to increase participation in Phase 2; staff said the combined in-person and online reach was over 1,000 unique engagements and that Phase 2 would include a public “game” to help residents test trade-offs and scenario planning, including digital play options and hosted game nights.

Ending: Staff said Phase 2 will distribute the interactive game, broaden outreach to underrepresented groups and use results in scenario planning later in the fall.