Environmentalists value land preservation.  Commuters hate traffic.  Home buyers can’t afford single-family homes.  There aren’t many inspiring, pedestrian-friendly places to shop, dine and be entertained.  Well, Pulte Homes just made a lot of those people happy with MetroWest in Vienna, Virginia.

64 single-family home owners on 60 acres sold their homes at a hefty profit so that Pulte could build 2250 homes, plus 300,000 s.f. of office and 100,000 s.f. of retail (a good sized main street) right up to a major Metro station (top of plan.)  At the density of development it replaced, that saves several thousand acres of farmland or wilderness.  The density also reduces peak-hour car trips by 47% and 25% for the residences and office respectively, per capita of course.  That also means 2250 multi-family homes that are a lot more attainable than their one-acre predecessors.  Finally, it also means a town center, a public square and lots of parks to spend time at on the weekday nights and weekends.

Not only that, but it helps set a precedent for other neighborhoods with the same situation, especially when many of the area’s government, nonprofit, business and community leaders are so supportive of it.