[Carol N]

Long time no hear from me – my ‘real’ job has been very focused on events. The passing of James Rossant this week prompted me to return here to Land8. Rossant designed Lake Anne’s plaza in Reston in his work with Bob Simon.
I will gladly tell you you’re wrong about Reston being a bedroom community, as at least 60,000 people are employed here, for one thing, in addition to the 60,000 +/- who live here. It’s truly a Live, Work, Play community. I am in no position to debate the advantages of the other fine communities you’ve mentioned, but I don’t think that infill development is nearly as exciting as an entire community that was planned from scratch with one man’s dream – and it is completely successful in all respects.
White flight? No. Reston was touted as the first integrated community in Virginia in the 60’s. Diversity is a strong point here, and one of the many ways we celebrate that is with an annual Multicultural Festival. The broad range of home styles and neighborhoods in the community accommodate every income and social level – tree huggers to tycoons included. The natural landscape of this area was preserved as the homes were built, which is something I appreciate very much. There are 55 miles of trails, both paved and natural, for all kinds of passive recreation, plus pools, tennis courts, tot lots, basketball courts, baseball & soccer fields – all tucked into every neighborhood, for all Restonians to use. There is an impressive population of architects and artists living here, which is a testament in itself.
Glassed over? No. When you’re in the urban core, there is a genuine dowtown vibe. Just as in any fine city I’ve visited, people are here shopping, working, taking their children and dogs for walks. Happy hours and lunchtime are packed with office workers from the buildings here, and they also arrive from the commercial corridor along the Dulles toll road. Families are here dining, visiting special events (acclaimed art, food, pet festivals and more), and celebrating special occasions all through the week.
We have celebrated the openings of 20-story, million dollar condos in the urban core, and just last month the Nature House was completed, for education and respite, at the edge of a 75-acre forest.
The office and retail grew gradually, according to demand, and serves much more than just the residents here. Zoning, which is overseen by the county, is well maintained and has not changed much since this Planned Residential Community was approved in 1963. (Literally a ground-breaking advancement.) Now, Reston is an address with cachet.
Reston will have two Metro Rail stops soon – the rail line is now under construction, after many years delay. And for added convenience for traveling, the airport is just 10 minutes away. Yet, Reston is positioned in such a way that airport noise is not an issue.
This month is the 45th anniversary of Reston ‘pioneers’ who first moved here in 1964 (and never left!) I personally know many worldly people who have lived here at least 40 years – they absolutely love it and have no desire to live anywhere else, though they may have had at least 3 addresses in Reston as they moved from apartment to townhome to detached home (and many empty nesters are now moving into the new condos). Three generations of families have made this their hometown.
Reston may not be your “first choice” example, but it is certainly worth including in research, which is what the original request was for. And, can you argue with proven success?

[Carol N]

Please see the information provided in Reply to Nick Aceto’s message.

[Carol N]

Reston Virginia in full is a premier example of planning strategy success. Robert E. Simon, Jr. is the developer who bought the land and made the plan with his team. At 95-years young, he still resides here and is very active in the community, thriving with a population of over 55,000 He began by outlining “Seven Goals for the New Town”, which helped to formulate his strategy – “fun”, including recreation and culture, was an important element. Reston Town Center as the urban core of the community was included in his original plan (c. 1963). Mobil Land developed the urban core of Reston Town Center, where the hotel, shops, restaurants, movie theater, office spaces, etc. opened in 1990. Through the late 90’s until 2008, more has been added, including a large amount of residential. http://www.restontowncenter.com shows the shopping & dining areas, etc. You can find much information about Bob’s Seven Goals, Reston’s development, the Genesis of Reston, and more via http://www.restonmuseum.org, or in the Planned Community Archives of George Mason University. Nicholas Bloom published a book in 2001 comparing 3 New Towns in the USA, entitled Suburban Alchemy. (As a layman, I totally enjoyed it.)

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