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May 20, 2026
Comprehensive Plan Update Project: Draft Arlington Guiding Principles
Next up in our series is Inclusive Arlington. Its Supporting Statements are shaped by community feedback and grounded in County-adopted policies and initiatives.
Read previous newsletter editions on other Arlington Guiding Principles:
What are Guiding Principles?
They are value-based statements that express the Comprehensive Plan's intended direction at its highest, overarching level, and guide its goals, policies, maps, and any other related components.
What are Supporting Statements?
They are descriptive statements that indicate policy direction and provide greater clarity and definition to each Guiding Principle.
View the Project Documents webpage to read more details on the County-adopted policies and initiatives with which the Guiding Principles and Supporting Statements align.
Ensure Arlington is a diverse, accessible, and welcoming community for all, free from all forms of discrimination, while integrating equity across all County work.
Supporting Statements:
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Inclusive Culture, Identity, and Heritage: Strengthen and celebrate diverse communities and values by recognizing, preserving, and uplifting cultural resources and local heritage assets.
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Economic Opportunity and Mobility: Support workforce diversity and an inclusive economy that enables small business success, promotes education, job training, employment, and career advancement, and empowers long‑term generational wealth‑building and homeownership opportunities.
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Equitable and Accountable Distribution of Resources: Document historic and current harms and disparities to ensure equitable distribution of resources, and train staff on integrating the Equitable Development Principles into their work.
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Accessible Housing, Services, and Basic Needs: Provide equitable access to housing and other basic needs and services, including multimodal transportation options, education, healthcare, childcare, food and nutrition resources, aging and disability support, recreation, and other social services that meet diverse community needs.
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Diverse and Meaningful Engagement: Ensure planning, budgeting, and other decision‑making processes follow public engagement best practices for equitable, inclusive, and accessible participation where residents, including historically marginalized groups, collaborate and share a sense of ownership and purpose in community life.
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Avoiding Displacement of Vulnerable Communities: Prioritize stabilizing residents and small businesses most vulnerable to market pressures, historic inequities, and environmental risks, so they can remain and thrive in the community as development and change occurs.
Community feedback on these draft Arlington Guiding Principles and Supporting Statements is essential so that community members' lived experiences, needs, and values are reflected in the Comprehensive Plan Introduction.
Share your input here now.
Please provide input by Sunday, June 7.
Drop in to our open office hours or visit us at a pop-up to learn more and ask questions!
Office Hours
- Thursday, May 21, 12-2 p.m., Fairlington Community Center Room #118
- Thursday, May 21, 6-8 p.m., Fairlington Community Center Room #118
- Tuesday, June 2, 12-2 p.m., Hendry House
- Tuesday, June 2, 6-8 p.m., Hendry House
Pop-ups
- Saturday, May 30, MetPark Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Sunday, May 31, Columbia Pike Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
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