- Experience working in diverse communities
- Served on planning commissions
- More than two decades of public service
ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington's new planning director, Robert J. Duffy, AICP, is bringing his expertise and support for community-based planning and engagement to the County.
“Bob Duffy has a long and varied career in local government planning and leadership positions,” said Robert E. Brosnan, director of Arlington's Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development. “He is exactly what the Planning Department needs right now as we move into implementation for some of our major planning projects to create more affordable housing and continue our smart growth, transit-oriented development.”
During his professional planning career, Duffy has been committed to a number of essential planning principles and priorities such as sustainable land use planning and smart growth; neighborhood conservation; transit-oriented communities and neighborhoods; green and complete streets; place making; equitable housing opportunities and choices; and context-based urban planning and design.
“The Planning Director is a very important position for Arlington with our long history of forward-looking planning,” said County Manager Barbara Donnellan. “In recruiting for this position, I was looking for someone who was experienced in dealing with planning challenges in an urban community, and a demonstrated ability to develop our highly creative planning staff, and Bob Duffy has a proven track record of delivering these types of results.”
Most recently, Duffy was Planning Supervisor with the Prince George's County Planning Department. Previously, he was Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Brookline, Massachusetts; Assistant Director of the Louisville Development Authority and Downtown Development Corporation; Town Planning and Development Administrator for the Town of Southampton, New York; and the Director of Planning for the City of Sanibel, Florida.
“I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to serve the citizens of Arlington County,” said Duffy. “I look forward to leading our planning staff and working with Arlington residents and businesses, Planning Commission members, the County Manager and County Board Members to further advance Arlington's nationally recognized commitment to community-based planning, smart growth and active civic engagement.”
Award Winning Planning Efforts
Duffy has managed and facilitated a number of award-winning planning projects such as the Central Annapolis Road Sector Plan, which transformed an auto-oriented corridor into a “complete street” with a transit village as part of the planned Purple Line light rail transit project. The project has been recognized by the American Architectural Foundation and featured in the recently published “Living Streets: Strategies for Crafting Public Space”.
Duffy provided leadership on the planning study of Brookline, Massachusetts. The Comprehensive Plan 2005 – 2015 focused on future growth within Brookline's transit corridors and establishes neighborhood conservation, affordable housing, and business district improvement strategies. The plan won 2006 Outstanding Planning Award from the American Planning Association, Massachusetts Chapter.
He also led planning and improvement efforts that contributed to the transformation of the historic, but deteriorated West Main Street in downtown Louisville, Kentucky into a “vibrant commercial, residential, retail, cultural, and entertainment district. The West Main Street Cultural Arts District was recognized by the American Planning Association in 2008 as one of America's “Great Streets”.
Duffy currently serves as a Technical Advisory Panel Committee member for the Washington District Council of the Urban Land institute (ULI), and a board member for the American Planning Association's (APA) National Capital Area Chapter. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Parker-Gray Historic District Architectural Review Board in Alexandria.
He has a bachelor's degree in Planning from the University of Cincinnati. His start date is Sept. 10, 2012. Duffy and his wife Adele Cramer currently reside in Alexandria. They enjoy hiking, cycling and kayaking.