Three Neighborhoods, Stronger Together
Since early 2018, the Crystal City BID recognized that all three neighborhoods in National Landing function as one cohesive downtown. In September 2019, the Arlington County Board approved the Crystal City BID’s expansion to include the Pentagon City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods, following overwhelming support of stakeholders in both the existing district and expansion areas. No longer only serving Crystal City, this expanded organization needed a new name.
Where did National Landing Originate?
When the Crystal City BID went through its collaborative strategic planning process in 2018 (with more than 3,200 people participating), the organization anticipated the need for a new name that would cover all three neighborhoods when it expanded. A committee spent months vetting dozens of potential names based on local history, architecture, transit connections, and more. Nothing resonated.
Simultaneously, Alexandria and Arlington were pitching the area to Amazon with the name “National Landing,” a reference to National Airport and the area’s significant transit connectivity. When Amazon HQ2 was announced publicly in November 2018 in “National Landing,” locals reacted in surprise. The name, however, was adopted by national news and media outlets covering the historic economic development deal. In the first year alone, the National Landing moniker received more than 1,000 mentions in national outlets. As the Crystal City BID sought to expand and rename in 2019-2020, the National Landing name stuck.
Dedicated to Community In-Reach
Throughout 2019 and 2020, the Crystal City BID undertook an extensive community engagement effort in preparation for a name change to the National Landing BID, holding four open houses, eight focus groups, and 30 stakeholder interviews. The process was overseen by a dedicated group of 25 brand committee members, stakeholders from all three neighborhoods. In addition, a public survey was heavily marketed and taken by 1,054 people. The BID leadership presented to each of the three civic groups in the area, all of whom voted in support of a new name for the expanded organization. Additionally, the name change received support from the Crystal City Citizens Review Council, an advisory body established by the Arlington County Board to monitor, identify issues and ensure the success of the Crystal City Sector Plan.
When people realized that the BID did not plan to remove the neighborhood names of Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard, they came to understand why a broader umbrella term was needed. The community outreach paid off. When the Crystal City BID officially changed its name to the National Landing BID in June 2020, neighborhood residents and businesses applauded the name change, new visual identity, and expanded BID.
New Look for an Expanded Organization
A new name and expanded focus meant a new visual identity with an iconic logo that highlights the strengths of the area and looks to its promising future with excitement.
The flexible identity system incorporates a clean typeface that underscores all three neighborhood names — Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard — while highlighting the umbrella term of National Landing, and allowing for changes in hierarchy depending on use. The bright yellow and blue reference the Metrorail lines and the blue of the Potomac River; the green refers to the abundant green spaces in National Landing. The identity system designed by Pentagram responds to ideas integral to the position, connectivity and centrality of the area, with clear references to transit systems.
National Landing is City Life Reimagined.