The Arlington County Board on Saturday approved a plan designed to remake the southern gateway to Ballston from an automobile-oriented area to one that's more pedestrian friendly.

The idea is to focus on the transition from Ballston proper to the nearby residential neighborhoods.

“This is an exciting plan, four years in the making, that will guide future development of Ballston for years to come,” Chairman Walter Tejada said in a statement. “We thank the community and the many stakeholders who contributed their time and creativity to help develop a long-range plan that will help transform Ballston into another great urban village.”

The document the board approved Saturday is an addendum to the North Quincy Street Plan, which was adopted in 1995.

The plan recommends remaking North Glebe Road into an "urban boulevard," creating smaller blocks to improve mobility and adding more open spaces, according to a news release and county staff report.

It focuses primarily on the area northeast of Glebe Road between Randolph and Quincy streets, and the area southwest of Glebe between Carlin Springs and Henderson streets.

A 2009 site plan for the American Service Center property at 585 N. Glebe Road — today, Mercedes-Benz of Arlington — was the impetus for the planning effort.

In the affected area, the plan limits building heights to achieve "appropriate" transitions for the area; encourages new buildings to be designed with "modestly-sized floor plates and slender towers," with some exceptions; puts an emphasis on public open spaces in the cases of future redevelopment; encourages shared parking in some places and concentrates retail along North Glebe, on street corners and other locations the county has deemed strategic.

To read the plan, click here for the county staff report and scroll down to Page 23.