Tysons Corner, a small urban area on the outskirts of the DC metropolitan area. What might be considered a small American town consisting of 20,000 or so residents(City Data), explodes to a near 150,000 during the work week. What might cause such a population disparity? Tyson’s Corner, along with around 200 other various U.S. cities including Irvine Spectrum, Calif. and Galleria Tx., are the new and up and coming communities we now refer to as ‘Edge Cities’. Coined by the Washington Post Journalist, Joel Garreau, the idea is that these cities serve as commercial and retail hubs for thousands of workers and outlying residents. Consisting of at least 5 million square feet of leasable office space, and retail spaces equating to at least 600,000 square feet, these areas have it all. Conveniently located near major thoroughfares, these cities provide easy access for their labor forces in addition to the suburban retail shopper. However, the reliance on such forces places an emphasis on the automobile leaving a lot to be desired for pedestrian travel. Additionally, against traditional downtown spaces, edge cities are much more spread out making space for vast parking lots and roadways. Edge cities can range in size and shape, however one thing that connects them all is that they were nonexistent 30+ years ago.
As any new invention, edge cities have found their critics and praisers. In considering if these new communities are in fact good or bad a great many things need to be accounted for. For instance, as mentioned before a great benefit of these cities is the packaging they provide. Edge cities don’t face the hassle of previous urban development and therefore are able to be built from the ground up. With that in mind, the developer has the capability to allocate mixed use planning allowing for jobs, retail, and entertainment all in one area. This has the benefit of bringing great economic growth to the area and adjacent communities. This however, directly ties into the negatives plaguing edge cities. The ‘have it all’ mentality is no free lunch. Sacrifices must be made to accommodate this grand space. One such sacrifice is the increased congestion to said area. Obviously, an area with such attractions will bring in people from across the state. Texas A&M reports that Washington was again rated at the top for the congestion it yielded noting, “drives wasted around 67 hours and 32 gallons of gas annually in their cars” (Washington Post). Efforts have been made to alleviate traffic from the area such as the DC Metro Silver Line and the continued efforts to implement mixed use development in Tysons Corner which I will discuss later. For now however, the public must face this cost if they wish to continue reaping the benefits.
So as a society we must ask ourselves the question, are edge cities the future of American planning. They seem to be catching on in popularity and it will only be a matter of time until we must accept or reject them. Obviously, they seem to offer a great deal at the cost of the pedestrian and increased congestion. So, are they worth it? I think so. Though we may not see it yet, edge cities are in their first phase and still focus around the intentions on which they were built. However, as they evolve, I believe that they will begin to cater to a broader audience if they wish to gain acceptance worldwide. For this reason I believe that it would be within the public’s best interest to accept edge cities and let them evolve into something greater.
With that said, future plans for Tysons Corner are already in the works and look better than ever. The community has started a comprehensive 40 year plan that will allocate better pedestrian travel, greater sustainability, and new highrise spaces for commercial and residential use. The plan began in 2014 with the construction of the Metro Silver Line. This new rail line will connect Tysons Corner with the metro D.C. area and allow for rapid-transit into and out of the area. As mentioned in Contemporary Urban Planning, development will centralize around silver line metro stops favoring walkability in the hopes of alleviating congestion. Further, decentralized streets will allow for mixed use development near the core of Tysons further increasing pedestrian friendliness. The area will also face reorganization with a plan to split the downtown area into 7 districts according to Trip Savvy. The benefits of ‘retrofitting’ edge cities such as Tysons Corner are indisputable. As any new urban development, edge cities will have to experience ‘growing pains’ to reach their fullest potential and as their proctors it is our responsibility to guide them on the right path.
Works Cited:
https://www.thoughtco.com/edge-city-1435778
http://www.city-data.com/city/Tysons-Corner-Virginia.html
https://www.tripsavvy.com/tysons-central-development-1039569