Reston Has A Big Problem: Columnist

RESTON, VA -- Reston is in danger of losing its founding vision, a local columnist warns.

An opinion piece in Greater Greater Washington by Michael Freedman-Schnapp argues that Reston is at a crossroads, and "the community’s founding vision of inclusion has begun to slip into the background."

Instead of taking the stance that many Restonians have against development and an influx of people, Freedman-Schnapp has a different take: Reston, once a "trail-blazing community" that saw rapid growth over its first 30 years, has seen that growth slow to a crawl in the last two decades, adding just 4,000 people.

He argues that founder Robert Simon envisioned Reston as an alternative to the racially-exclusive suburbs of Long Island and a place that includes a wide range of housing styles and prices. But lately in Reston, the conversation has changed.

"The public dialogue focuses on slowing or stopping housing growth, rather than how to redouble efforts to ensure new housing is inclusive and affordable, or how to create better public places," he writes.

He said the Reston community is now largely defined by "professional-class affluence and high housing prices," and as a result Reston is becoming like every other suburb in the country.

"It’s hard to have the intergenerational community Simon dreamed of if new generations can’t move in," he wrote.

He called for densifying Reston Town Center North, revitalizing the village centers as transit-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods, and increasing the density around those village centers.

You can read the full article here.