VA Tech student project focuses on the Annandale Greenway
Prof. Shelley Mastran of Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs in Arlington, is having her urban planning students carry out a project on the Annandale Greenway.
The 14 students are in a graduate-level class called Capstone Studio, which requires a project on real-world planning problems. They are working on master’s degrees in urban and regional planning.
When Mastran asked staff at the Fairfax County Park Authority for project ideas, they suggested the Annandale Greenway. The greenway is a 4.5-mile trail through the center of Annandale that incorporates paved and unpaved walkways between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens.
The students are conducting a thorough inventory of the Annandale Greenway and will put that information into a geographical information system highlighting points of interest on a map. The GIS will eventually be accessible online.
Related story: Greening up the heart of Annandale
The inventory will include signs; amenities; areas where amenities could be added, such as public art, benches, and community gardens; and areas of concern in terms of safety.
The students will also recommend wayfinding enhancements, as many people don’t know about the greenway and there are no signs directing people where to go.
The final class project will consist of the GIS and a report that includes an implementation plan.
“Whatever they produce will be useful in terms of helping the community get grant funding,” Mastran said, and will help people navigate the greenway. Walkers will be able to access the GIS on their phones to determine where to turn.
Sadly the greenway will likely be a magnet for homeless and immigrants to dump trash, urinate, defecate on. It’s a lovely idea if we lived in a different time and a different place. Present day and near future Annandale is surrounded by humans who have no regard for the community or laws. Police and BoS (esp new guy) have no desire to improve the situation. Attribute that to incompetence and laziness. A pathway will not improve the situation. If it were 30 years ago… maybe. Consider a grant to pay illegal day workers at 7-11 and Safeway parking lots to collect trash from Americana Drive and pay bonus by the pound to have the garbage placed in BoS driveways (esp the new guy).
I agree. REAL urban planning would be forward thinking AND incorporate how to deal with current realities.
Here’s an urban planning project: Convert vacant commercial real estate to residential. That’s timely and kills 2 birds with one stone (immigrants/homeless and vacant office space).
Here’s hoping your pessimistic viewpoint proves wrong. Love the idea of this project and I’ll bet the students come up with great plan. I was think of using this pathway to get to the Cross County Trail from near Pinecrest, but at this point its tough to figure out the route by looking at on line mapping sources.
The garbage will include you and your xenophobia.
Wonderful
Looking forward to seeing their work.
Go all the way from Alexandria to (almost) Fairfax and never get near little River turnpike.
Has anyone ever witnessed a living sole in Annandale Park? I haven’t even sent birds in it. It was one of Penny Gross’ brainchilds and was a terrible waste of money.
Annandale Community Park is on Hummer Road (connected by path to Hidden Oaks Nature Center). The playground is always full of kids.
Lived here for decades and never heard of Annandale Greenway. I don’t have interest traveling to Manassas on foot. Maybe they could clean up downtown Annandale, like, figure out how to remove that burned down building that is now crawling with rats.
Very inspiring. I look forward to trekking along the greenway.
Great idea! I hope the county acts on this project after recommending it to the class. I would love improved signage and clear connections between trail systems and parks!
Northern Virginia has so many nice parks and trails, but few of the trail branches are labeled after the trailhead. Hope the students also note areas where the trail is in poor condition and needs improvement!