New Smart City Development in Loudoun County, VA

I recently came across this article from the Washington Business Journal on Facebook, and my interest was immediately piqued. A new "smart city" project will begin in Ashburn, the first of its kind in the area, and will be called the Gramercy District. I began to wonder what kind of impact this would have on the area that I know to be so full of natural and cultural resources.

Fortunately, Loudoun has long taken pride in its resources and does well to preserve them. They have a Green Infrastructure plan in place to guide all land development and redevelopment in the county. Not a lot is known about the American Indian tribes who resided on the land before European colonists settled in the area. The location where Gramercy District is planned to be built could very well hold many significant archaeological resources, not to mention the historical landscape, as well as its diverse ecology.

Rendering of Gramercy District

Smart cities are certainly an asset to their communities and may prove to be an economic boost to the surrounding area. Gramercy District plans to be right next to the Ashburn Metro Station Plaza, the final stop on the Silver Line of the DC Metrorail system; thousands of people will have to pass through it every day. After the district is built, it's feasible to assume more development will spring up around it such as in Brambleton, another nearby community.

There is a fine balance between preservation and progress.As preservationists, we instinctively want to protect natural, ecological, and heritage resources, but we can't be so stringent as to impede positive progress. The residents of Loudoun County are lucky to have a government that values its resources the way it does.

What's your opinion? I'd like to know what you think about the preservation vs. progress debate.