As the founder of Reston, Robert E. Simon was one of the first to bring the “new town” concept to the suburbs, creating a community from the ground up in which people could live, work and play without driving long distances. Extremely popular now, “new towns” are blanketing Northern Virginia as the area develops. At 93, Simon reflects on his creation of and return to the town to which he lent his initials.
In the 1960s, “new towns” were almost unheard of. What was your inspiration for Reston?
My main spark plug was Radburn in New Jersey (founded in 1929). It was modeled after the garden cities in England, and my father was on the board, so we were very much aware of it even as teenagers.
You moved back to Reston in 1993 after a long stint in Long Island, N.Y. Why?
I had been in contact with Reston through all the years. They had me down to ceremonial occasions. And I’ve had friends here, and they’ve always provided me with a wonderful tennis partner. Also, I didn’t need a car here to see friends because so much was within walking distance. It’s a community with a community center, and living in a community is quite different from living in a suburb.
Reston continues to evolve. What would you like to see happen?
Revitalization of Lake Anne is something I’m very interested in, as well as programs for latchkey kids and beautification of public space.
Washington has some of the worst traffic congestion in the country. What could Fairfax County do better?
It appears as though we’re going to have a rail line here, and that should do quite a bit to relieve the traffic. The other thing, of course, is improved bus service.
