Tale of the Tape:
Alexandria Population 2008: 143,885 (City); 5,358,130 (Metro - Washington, DC) - (incorporated in 1779)
Jacksonville Pop. 2008: 807,815 (City); 1,313,228 (Metro) - (incorporated in 1832)
City population 1950: Jacksonville (204,517); Alexandria (61,787)
Metropolitan Area Growth rate (2000-2008)
Alexandria: +11.72%%
Jacksonville: +15.86%
Urban Area Population (2000 census)
Alexandria: 3,933,920 (ranked 8 nationwide)
Jacksonville: 882,295 (ranked 43 nationwide)
Urban Area Population Density (2000 census)
Alexandria: 3,400.8
Jacksonville: 2,149.2
City Population Growth from 2000 to 2008
Alexandria: +15,602
Jacksonville: +72,312
Convention Center Exhibition Space:
Alexandria: Alexandria does not have a convention center
Jacksonville: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center (1986) - 78,500 square feet
Adjacent to Convention Center:
Alexandria: N/A
Jacksonville: N/A
Tallest Building:
Alexandria: Hilton Alexandria Mark Center - 338 feet
Jacksonville: Bank of America Tower - 617 feet
Fortune 500 companies 2009 (City limits only):
Alexandria: zero (0)
Jacksonville: CSX (240), Winn-Dixie (340)
Urban infill obstacles:
Alexandria: N/A
Jacksonville: State & Union Streets cut off Downtown Jacksonville from Springfield.
Downtown Nightlife:
Alexandria: Historic King Street, the waterfront
Jacksonville: East Bay Street, located between Main Street and Liberty Street.
Common Downtown Albatross:
Both cores have to compete against sprawling suburban commercial districts and attractions.
Who's Downtown is more walkable?
Alexandria: 98 out of 100, according to walkscore.com (downtown Alexandria as keyword)
Jacksonville: 88 out of 100, according to walkscore.com
City Land Area
Alexandria: 15 square miles
Jacksonville: 767 square miles
Green = Jacksonville's city limits (current urban core) before consolidation in 1968
Red = Jacksonville's current consolidated city-county limits
Jacksonville's current and original city limit boundaries over Alexandria's limits (highlighted in purple).
About Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 6 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.
Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as central Maryland, modern Alexandria has been shaped by its proximity to the nation's capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government. The latter are known locally as beltway bandits, after the Capital Beltway, an interstate highway that circles Washington, D.C. One of Alexandria's largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Others include the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Naval Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved 7,100 employees from 18 separate buildings in nearby Crystal City into a new headquarters complex in the city.
Alexandria is home to numerous trade associations, charities, and non-profit organizations including the national headquarters of groups such as Catholic Charities, United Way, and the Salvation Army. In 2005, Alexandria became one of the first cities of its size to offer free wireless Internet access to some of its residents and visitors.
The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town. With its concentration of high-end boutiques, fine restaurants, antique shops and theaters, it is a major draw for tourists and those seeking nightlife. Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact, walkable, high-income suburbs of Washington D.C.
It is the seventh largest and highest income independent city in Virginia. A 2005 assessed-value study of homes and condominiums found that over 40 percent were in the highest bracket, worth $556,000 or more.
Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as central Maryland, modern Alexandria has been shaped by its proximity to the nation's capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government. The latter are known locally as beltway bandits, after the Capital Beltway, an interstate highway that circles Washington, D.C. One of Alexandria's largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Others include the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Naval Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved 7,100 employees from 18 separate buildings in nearby Crystal City into a new headquarters complex in the city.
Alexandria is home to numerous trade associations, charities, and non-profit organizations including the national headquarters of groups such as Catholic Charities, United Way, and the Salvation Army. In 2005, Alexandria became one of the first cities of its size to offer free wireless Internet access to some of its residents and visitors.
The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town. With its concentration of high-end boutiques, fine restaurants, antique shops and theaters, it is a major draw for tourists and those seeking nightlife. Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact, walkable, high-income suburbs of Washington D.C.
It is the seventh largest and highest income independent city in Virginia. A 2005 assessed-value study of homes and condominiums found that over 40 percent were in the highest bracket, worth $556,000 or more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Virginia
King Street Metrorail Station
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King Street is a Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia on the Blue and Yellow Lines. It is the southernmost transfer station for the Blue and Yellow lines, as the two lines converge just south of the station. During inclement weather, Crystal City is commonly used as an unofficial transfer point, being the southernmost underground station common to both lines. King Street was originally served only by the Yellow Line, until the Blue Line was extended from National Airport to Van Dorn Street in 1991. The station entrance pylon on the street still reflects this period of Yellow-only service, lacking a blue stripe.
King Street is the second fastest growing station on the Washington Metro (behind Gallery Pl-Chinatown). Over the past 10 years, its ridership has increased 104%.
The station is located at King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Entrances to the station are located on King Street and on the Diagonal Road side of the station. The station is above ground, and utilizes a center platform, which includes tactile paving strips to aid passengers who are blind or visually impaired. Access to the platform is provided by one pair of escalators, one staircase and one elevator. Service began on December 17, 1983.
An expansion to the station has been completed, which adds a second entrance and mezzanine across Commonwealth Avenue from the existing mezzanine, with the new entrance located on Cameron Street, across from the nearby Hilton hotel. The expansion also includes a new canopy over the north end of the platform, designed to match the original canopy. The two canopies do not connect in order to preserve the view of the George Washington Masonic Memorial from Old Town.
King Street is the second fastest growing station on the Washington Metro (behind Gallery Pl-Chinatown). Over the past 10 years, its ridership has increased 104%.
The station is located at King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Entrances to the station are located on King Street and on the Diagonal Road side of the station. The station is above ground, and utilizes a center platform, which includes tactile paving strips to aid passengers who are blind or visually impaired. Access to the platform is provided by one pair of escalators, one staircase and one elevator. Service began on December 17, 1983.
An expansion to the station has been completed, which adds a second entrance and mezzanine across Commonwealth Avenue from the existing mezzanine, with the new entrance located on Cameron Street, across from the nearby Hilton hotel. The expansion also includes a new canopy over the north end of the platform, designed to match the original canopy. The two canopies do not connect in order to preserve the view of the George Washington Masonic Memorial from Old Town.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Street_(Washington_Metro)
This image captures several components of a well designed suburban intermodal center. The rail spine that connects the community with the center city, buses that feed suburban passengers to the rail spine, PCTs that provide quick service to adjacent activity centers, park-n-ride facilities for those driving to the station and high density transit oriented development that creates a built-in rider base to support the public's transit investment.
King Street Station
King Street Station is a mega block transit oriented development directly across the street from the metrorail station. Designed to be pedestrian scale, a series of pedestrian promenades break up the mega block allowing walkability and greenspace to co-exist on the site.
In addition to King Street Station, additional transit adjacent development has taken place with in a ten minute walk of the metrorail station. High density in nature, it is well designed to fit into the adjacent historic blocks of Alexandria.
Old Town (Historic King Street)
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Old Town, in the eastern and southeastern areas of Alexandria and on the Potomac River, is the oldest section of the city, originally laid out in 1749, and is a historic district. Old Town is chiefly known for its historic town houses, art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants. Some of the historic landmarks in Old Town include General Robert E. Lee's boyhood home, the Lee-Fendall House, a replica of George Washington's townhouse, Gadsby's Tavern, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop, and the Torpedo Factory art studio complex (see the "Recreation" paragraph below). River cruise boats and street entertainers frequent the large plaza at the foot of King Street; the Mt. Vernon Trail also passes through. Old Town is laid out on a grid plan of substantially square blocks. The opening of the Washington Metro King Street station in 1983 led to a spurt of new hotel and office building development in western Old Town, and gentrification of townhouse areas west of Washington Street which were previously an African-American community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Virginia#Old_Town
Many people equate higher density with highrise development. However, there are several infill developments and adaptive reuse projects in the area that are high density, yet are designed to fit the flavor, character and scale of the neighborhood.
Adaptive Reuse and the Potomac Waterfront
The Alexandria Torpedo Factory has been transformed into a waterfront art studio complex and attraction.
Conclusion
Alexandria can serve as an example of how transit and supportive infill high density land uses can be designed and integrated into a historic community, in a manner that improves that neighborhood's sustainability, atmosphere and quality of life. For those worried about the impact of rail transit to a historic district like Springfield or Riverside, Alexandria's experience is a good model to follow.
Article and Photos by Ennis Davis
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sheclown
October 07, 2009, 08:25:11 AMI grew up in Northern Virginia. Alexandria has always been a cool, urbane place with a strong sense of identity. Arlington, for example, has DC as its identity. People moved to Arlington when they were too afraid to live in DC. Alexandria, somehow, stands alone. The historic nature (and the respect for its historic nature) largely contributes to this.
willydenn
October 07, 2009, 01:13:58 PMI grew up in Alexandria and it is amazing how much it has changed in the last 10 years. The infill growth around the King Street Metro is relatively new.
JaxNative68
October 07, 2009, 01:58:50 PMThe rail transit in Alexandria is more of a connector to DC. The rail isn't used to connect points of interest within Alexandria. Nobody rides it from King St to Braddock Rd, which are the only two stops within downtown Alexandria. And to consider these two stops as being in downtown is a stretch. They are really on the outskirts of the downtown area. To walk from the Metro to the waterfront is quite a hike. The Van Dorn station is in the suburbs and may pick a few riders to King Street station, but mostly are riders going to DC. That being evident by how full the train is in the morning when it gets to King St.
One important note about the King Street station not mentioned in the article, unless I missed it, is that it is a connector station to Amtrak, which further extends the transit system into Virginia.
I don’t think the fact that Alexandria doesn’t have a convention center is an issue, seeing how the DC convention center is only eight miles away, a very short ride on the Metro. It’s practically in their backyard.
thelakelander
October 07, 2009, 02:28:09 PMJust to clarify, although we used the same statistical data in the beginning as every Elements of Urbanism story, the article is not an attempt to compare DT Jax to DT Arlington. Instead, it is a visual example of how rail and new transit oriented development can be integrated with historic urban neighborhood environments. If we had to pull out future commuter rail locations in Jax that could be similar, a few come to mind.
San Marco - A commuter rail stop at Atlantic Blvd that spurs infill development to make the entire stretch between I-95 and San Marco Square walkable.
Riverside - A stop at Post or King Street could have a similar effect combining new development on the fringe of the historic district with the neighborhood, Park & King and St. Vincents.
Springfield - A stop at the Springfield Warehouse District could also spur development along Main between 9th & 20th Street.
Durkeeville - A rail stop on the S-Line at Kings Road could spur new infill development in the blighted industrial district that ends up integrating with the surrounding environment and Edward Waters College.
JaxNative68
October 07, 2009, 02:32:31 PMbuild it, they will come . . . or am I thinking about a baseball diamond in a corn field? nevermind.
stjr
October 07, 2009, 07:37:05 PMThis is light years better than the pictures and sense of place conveyed in the Arlington, VA story. Much of it can be attributed to the preservation of historic structures, modern architecture that relates to the human scale, nice and friendly streetscapes, and a waterfront. The Metro mass transit station is icing on the cake.
Of all your city comparisons, this may come closest to what we should ideally strive to achieve for our more developed non-Downtown areas. Great job. I hope you send it to all our City politicos and planners to pin on their walls or tatoo to their heads so they can see it everyday and work toward making something like this a reality here.
sheclown
October 07, 2009, 08:51:36 PMAnd Gateway Plaza. What would it mean to that place? It could tie into the bus hub.
thelakelander
October 07, 2009, 10:17:24 PMstjr, I agree that the atmosphere is superior to Arlington's. Here is an aerial of King Street from wikipedia. Its a great shot showing how new, old and transit have been integrated with one another. Its a model that would be great for Jacksonville's urban core.
sheclown, yes Gateway and the Norwood corridor would greatly benefit from putting rail back on the S-Line.
zoo
October 09, 2009, 06:32:46 PMSadly, the thing that jumps out at me in these pictures these days, is the signage. Makes me more upset about JaxPride and all of the sign nazis in this town that have made the entire city - and I don't just mean the core - feel so visually bland and antiseptic.