Wilson and Clarendon among America's great streets

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Arlington's move years ago to create mixed-use development along Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards is paying off.

The American Planning Association listed the streets among the association's top 10 great streets in the nation. Also named as a great public soace is D.C's Union Station.

Arlington gets kudos for creating an urban village that has reduced traffic and added people.

Call it good planning, says Arlington County's Director of Economic Development Terry Holzheimer.

"About 20 percent of the families living there don't own cars. Sixty percent take Metro to work. We've actually seen traffic on these two great streets -- Clarendon and Wilson -- decline as we have built higher and more dense development,"

Holzheimer says plans are underway for more urban villages. The next one up will be Crystal City.

Baltimore's Charles Village is listed as a great neighborhood on the 2008 Great Places in America list.

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