The Friendship Heights Alliance
The Friendship Heights Alliance is a property owner collaborative focused on the transformation of Friendship Heights through placemaking, place branding and place-based economic development. The organization was born out of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to come together around a new vision for the neighborhood, building on its significant strengths to become a dynamic, inclusive, walkable urban place.
What are the Friendship Heights Alliance’s guiding principles?
- Improving the public realm to make Friendship Heights more walkable and inviting
- Connecting the retail and public space experience to existing residents and neighbors
- Supporting more housing, including multifamily opportunities and affordable housing inclusivity
- Building a sense of place and diverse, inclusive connections to both DC and Maryland
To learn more about the structure and funding of the Friendship Heights Alliance, please read our Frequently Asked Questions document.
History
In spring 2021, ULI Washington held a Technical Assistance Panel to strategically address concerns related to the struggling Friendship Heights area. The panel members, consisting of a multi-disciplinary team of 12 leading land planning and community development professionals, met for four-and-a-half days to consider a wide range of issues and opportunities, and subsequently offered many insightful observations and recommendations, affirming the growing consensus of a new vision and an emerging cooperative spirit. View the full plan.
One of the key strategic priorities noted by the ULI panel was to “Establish the Friendship Heights Alliance” as an organization to catalyze the needed initiatives. FHA is modeled on other regional organizations such as the Tysons Partnership. The organization was born out of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to come together around a new vision for the neighborhood, building on its significant strengths to become a dynamic, inclusive, walkable urban place.