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Falls Church Forward has grown from pandemic-era conversations around backyard fire pits into a civic organization with more than 400 members, an expanding list of community projects and plans for a Civics Boot Camp.

The volunteer-led group describes itself as a citizen collective working toward a more welcoming, vibrant and sustainable Falls Church. Its leadership team is still weighing whether to seek nonprofit status, but the organization has already established a website, neighborhood outreach programs and a busy calendar of political, social and service activities.

Mayor Letty Hardi, one of the group’s founders, said Falls Church Forward emerged from socially distanced gatherings held after the murder of George Floyd renewed national attention on racial equity and social justice.

Participants began examining how those issues affected Falls Church, including the history of zoning and housing policy. The informal group met about every two months before Hardi pushed to turn it into a formal civic organization around 2022.

Many of the early participants were already active on city boards, commissions, the School Board or City Council. Hardi said the gatherings complied with rules governing how many members of a public body could meet outside official proceedings.

In 2023, she asked civic-engagement advocate and filmmaker Pete Davis to help develop the organization. Falls Church Forward subsequently published a manifesto and began holding public meetings.

Its leadership team now includes Hardi, Andrea Conant, Ross Litkenhous, City Council member Justine Underhill and Davis.

Five pillars guide the group

Falls Church Forward organizes its work around five priorities: Housing for All, Community Businesses, People-First Places, Climate Resilience and Welcoming Culture.

The group argues that housing, transportation, public spaces, environmental policy and the local economy are closely connected. Its vision calls for residents to live within walking distance of shops and public places, supporting local businesses while reducing reliance on cars and strengthening neighborhood relationships.

It also says Falls Church must respond deliberately to pressures including population growth, rising housing costs, inflation, remote work and climate change.

The organization’s first-year activities reflected its broad agenda. Members organized candidate questionnaires, potlucks, volunteer days, biking food tours and a Halloween bicycle parade. Other efforts included crosswalk painting, neighborhood ambassadors, informational talks, fundraising events and an appliance expo promoting electrification.

The group also invited residents to describe their perfect day in Falls Church and posted the responses online.

Housing debate takes center stage

Housing and environmental policy were the focus of a Jan. 26 gathering at Viget, 105 W. Broad St., where Underhill presented her video, “Green vs. Grey Environmentalism.”

The video examined competing environmental arguments in the housing-density debate. Supporters of greater density contend that concentrating development can limit sprawl, deforestation and climate emissions. Opponents sometimes point to local concerns such as tree-canopy loss and stormwater runoff.

Underhill, a former Yahoo Finance reporter, used research and visual storytelling to examine those tensions before leading a discussion with attendees.

Hardi said communities must protect trees, address heat islands and preserve quality of life while also considering regional environmental effects. In her view, allowing more people to live near jobs, services and existing infrastructure can curb sprawl and reduce emissions from cars and buildings.

She also credited Underhill’s journalism experience with helping residents understand complicated policy questions. Underhill previously advocated for bicycle-related issues before joining Falls Church Forward and later winning a City Council seat.

A Civics Boot Camp is planned

Falls Church Forward’s next major project could be a Civics Boot Camp designed to explain how local government works and help residents become more involved.

Hardi said the program could teach participants how to make public comments, serve on boards and commissions, and run for office. She sees the group as a potential training ground for future community leaders, particularly for residents seeking ways to make a difference locally amid concerns about national politics.

The leadership team meets every few weeks to set priorities, while the wider organization schedules quarterly meetings along with social events and service projects.

Falls Church Forward remains in what Hardi called its launch phase. Its leaders have not decided whether the organization should become a nonprofit and are still considering the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.

Neighborhood projects build momentum

Among the group’s most visible efforts was its “Leave the Leaves” campaign, which encouraged residents to mulch fallen leaves or keep them in their yards instead of sweeping them to the curb.

Hardi said the idea grew from what she learned while serving as the City Council liaison to the Urban Forestry Commission. Because City Hall lacked the resources for a promotional campaign, Falls Church Forward distributed neighborhood flyers and yard signs explaining the potential benefits.

Although initially skeptical, Hardi said her family became convinced after mulch-mowing the leaves in their heavily wooded yard. Within several days, she said, the leaves were no longer noticeable, and her children had far less raking to do.

The organization has also created welcome kits for people moving into new residential buildings. Hardi said the project is intended to help newcomers connect with the wider community.

Membership is free, and participants can choose their level of involvement, from attending social gatherings and screenings to volunteering on community projects. With membership at roughly 400 and growing, Falls Church Forward is seeking to turn its early momentum into a lasting civic presence.