How is Gaithersburg different from Reston (or isn't it?) (Columbia: crime, how much)

[Tiger Beer]

Just examining Gaithersburg, which seems to have a lot of new urbanism designs. A lot of townhouses, and apparently potential plans for light rail even. Not sure how much of that is speculation or concrete though.

Nontheless, Reston, from my understanding is a bit pre-new urbanism. But planned nontheless.

Are there certain distinguishing features that vary significantly from them? In what ways? Etc.?

[brooklynborndad]

planned communities in the USA long predate new urbanism. Reston was from an era of planned communities - Columbia, Irvine in CA, someplace near Dallas - that focused on (I am going heavily by what I know of Columbia) seperation of uses, rustic bike/walking trails, employment within the planned community (though most became commuter towns anyway) lots of open space, a mall/town center, auto oriented commerce hidden discretely away, mixed incomes, heavily controlled architecture and development, etc. Generally modernist architecture, but with the SFHs being on traditional quarter acre lots.

Reston is something of a hybrid, in that the TC was built MUCH later than the rest of Reston, and more on Neourban principles.


By neourban, I think of much of the above, but more focus on rectilinear street grid, smaller lots for SFHs, victorian arch styles, walking more integrated into the street grid, small squares rather than larger parks, and an acceptance that most folks will commute.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

planned communities in the USA long predate new urbanism. Reston was from an era of planned communities - Columbia, Irvine in CA, someplace near Dallas - that focused on (I am going heavily by what I know of Columbia) seperation of uses, rustic bike/walking trails, employment within the planned community (though most became commuter towns anyway) lots of open space, a mall/town center, auto oriented commerce hidden discretely away, mixed incomes, heavily controlled architecture and development, etc. Generally modernist architecture, but with the SFHs being on traditional quarter acre lots.

Reston is something of a hybrid, in that the TC was built MUCH later than the rest of Reston, and more on Neourban principles.


By neourban, I think of much of the above, but more focus on rectilinear street grid, smaller lots for SFHs, victorian arch styles, walking more integrated into the street grid, small squares rather than larger parks, and an acceptance that most folks will commute.

Agree with all that; in comparison, Gaithersburg was already a developed suburb before Kentlands, which is the "new (sub)urban" development in that area, was built in the early 90s. If it means anything to you, Kentlands looks more like Brambleton out in Loudoun, or Celebration, FL, but it's also surrounded by typical suburban stuff.

For the counties in which they are located, both Reston and Gaithersburg have a fair amount of both subsidized and "affordable" (for this area) housing. There are some really nice parts of Gaithersburg, such as Kentlands and the area around Quince Orchard, but overall you'll hear about more crime in the Gaithersburg/Germantown area than in Reston.