Alexandria officially received the 2025 Virginia Plan of the Year Award on Tuesday for its AlexWest Small Area Plan, with state planning officials presenting the honor to the City Council more than three months after it was announced in June.
Nick Rogers, president-elect of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Sophie Huemer, chair of the chapter’s 2025 awards committee, made the formal presentation during Tuesday night’s council meeting. Huemer is also the director of the Office of Capital Programs, Planning, and Design Services at Alexandria City Public Schools.
The award recognizes planning efforts that “set a standard for vision, innovation, and implementable strategies,” according to Huemer.
The AlexWest plan was selected from among submissions by jurisdictions across Virginia for its community-focused approach to urban planning in the West End, including its clear land-use framework grounded in extensive public engagement and a commitment to equity and design excellence.
“The result of that area plan and that rigorous community process produced a community-driven small area plan that offered a realistic roadmap for equitable and resilient growth, and it’s a model for how cities can pair data, design, and community voices to build a more inclusive future,” Huemer said.
The plan, adopted by the City Council last December after two years of development, is a comprehensive update of the 1992 Alexandria West Small Area Plan and 2012 Beauregard Small Area Plan. It recommends significant expansion of Dora Kelley Nature Park, a new public park adjacent to the Winkler Botanical Preserve, and a new park at the corner of Seminary Road and N. Beauregard Street.
Alexandria for the AlexWest Plan at Legislative Meeting. A proud moment for staff, who are pictured with members of APA and City Council. (Photo by Ryan Belmore/ALXnow)
Rogers praised Alexandria’s track record of planning initiatives beyond the AlexWest plan, explicitly mentioning the city’s previous work on the Arlandria-Chirilagua plan and ongoing development at the former Landmark mall site.
“It’s evident for myself and any of the members of our chapter that Alexandria is a leader and a committed partner in the hard work,” Rogers said.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins asked all planning department employees present to stand for recognition.
“This plan is not just our community’s plan. It’s your plan,” Gaskins told the staff. “And it’s a reflection of your heart, your care, your dedication, your talent, your expertise that you bring to the city.”
When the award was announced in June, Gaskins called it “a tremendous honor and a reflection of our City’s commitment to inclusive growth, equity, and sustainability.”
Councilman John Chapman praised the planning department’s consistent excellence and evolution in community engagement.
“This is a testament to, frankly, the high level of high standard, consistent, high standard of excellence of work that I’ve seen over the years with folks in planning,” Chapman said. “It’s been impressive to see our growth and modernization in how we do outreach.”
Councilman Canek Aguirre, who observed the AlexWest planning process firsthand, highlighted the department’s attention to detail, such as providing food at meetings and using youth interpreters for the various languages spoken in the diverse community.
“Having that first-person view, seeing how attentive you were. The timing that goes into just getting sandwiches into the room,” Aguirre said. “And one of the things that really stuck with me, too, was the utilization of some of our youth as interpreters for different languages.”
The AlexWest Small Area Plan focuses on Alexandria’s West End. It represents a collaborative effort shaped by the expertise of city staff, guidance from the Planning Commission and City Council, and input from residents and stakeholders throughout the community.
The American Planning Association’s Virginia chapter has over 1,600 members throughout the Commonwealth. The organization’s awards program recognizes planning efforts, as well as individuals and communities working to create lasting value.
