Arlington's Conservation Program Gets New Name Over Equity Concerns

ARLINGTON, VA — After almost a yearlong renaming process, Arlington County has changed the name of its Neighborhood Conservation Program to the Arlington Neighborhoods Program.

The county decided to change the name after a review of the program found that the word “conservation” often evokes a negative connotation and suggests exclusivity.

In June 2021, Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development Neighborhood Services Division created a framework to make changes to the program using recommendations from the review and in line with the county’s equity objectives.

“The name change is an important first step in the program’s implementation framework,” Community Planning, Housing, and Development Director Claude Williamson said in statement Friday. “Arlington Neighborhoods Program is broad and inclusive — reflecting both those it serves, and the types of projects the program offers.”

When the program was created in 1964, the goal was to give residents some power to share ideas with the county for improving their neighborhoods. The program provides an important source of funding to neighborhoods in Arlington for a variety of capital improvement projects, including sidewalks, curbs and gutters, streetlights, signs, park improvements, neighborhood art, and beautification.

The Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee, which is also considering a new name, leads the development of neighborhood plans and recommends neighborhood-initiated capital improvements for funding by the Arlington County Board.

In 2019, Arlington County initiated a review of the Neighborhood Conservation Program, the first review in the program’s 58-year history. The program review working group completed its work in early 2021. The Program Review Final Report was presented to County Manager Mark Schwartz in February 2021.

The review found that the Neighborhood Conservation Program generally favors homeowners. Nearly two out of every three neighborhood conservation projects are located in low-density residential areas.

"This is not surprising given that private development and other programs often deliver infrastructure investments in high-density areas (e.g., Crystal City, Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor) where many renters live," the report said. "Civic associations with NC projects in higher-density communities often face hurdles and a longer process when they need approval from multifamily property owners who may not be in tune with community needs because they don’t reside in the neighborhood or in Arlington."

The name change to the Arlington Neighborhoods Program was only one part of the Neighborhood Conservation Program Review’s final report. Recommendations in the report also included potential changes to the core components of the program, including neighborhood plans, projects, funding and county policy.

Members of the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee include representatives from 48 of Arlington County’s 57 civic associations.