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?