User:Hanchettwiki/New towns movement

New Towns in the U.S.
Notable new towns in the United States include Reston, VA; Columbia, MD; Jonathan, MN; Peachtree City, GA; the "new town in town" of Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis. As post-World War 2 suburban development began receiving critique, “New Towns” spread across America seeking to reimagine suburban living.

Privately-Funded Developments
Founded by Robert E. Simon in 1964, Reston, VA became the first modern planned American New Town and quickly became a model and supporting argument for New Town expansion. Reston was planned with the intention of preserving greenspace and the surrounding woodlands, while developing dense village centers with unique architectural styles, shops, and things to do. Reston is one of the few success stories from the “New Town” boom, today boasting a population of 61,147 and rated the best place to live in Virginia in 2018. Its “cluster” principle of transit hubs and dense community centers paired with public parks and attractions takes form in many urban planning principles today.

Columbia, MD was founded in 1967 by James Rouse and planned with New Town principles. The area 15 miles outside of Washington D.C. was initially split into six self-contained villages that surrounded the Town Center and mall. Each would have a village center - complete with its own shopping center, high school, and recreation facilities. Also included were interfaith centers to preserve land and host several religious denominations. Rouse was ahead of his time in promoting mixed-use development and preservation of natural areas. Today, Columbia has a population of more than 100,000 and is regarded for its sense of community and early adoption of pedestrian-centric planning.

Reston and Columbia were arguably the most acclaimed New Towns from this period, but they still underwent financial restructuring or bankruptcy.

Publicly-Funded Developments
After relative success in Reston and Columbia, new towns in the United States received federal support and funding after passage of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970. This law authorized the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to finance property acquisition and development for the purpose of building new communities. Taking example from European New Town programs, developers in the United States planned new communities across the country, including: St. Charles, MD; Maumelle, AK; The Woodlands, TX; Soul City, NC; Harbison, SC; Shenandoah, GA; Jonathan, MN; Park Forest South, IL.; Cedar-Riverside, MN; Riverton, NY; Flower Mound, TX; San Antonio Ranch, TX; Gananda, NY; and Newfields, Ohio.

Of the fourteen communities funded under America’s Title VII New Towns Program, thirteen went bankrupt. Financial losses, struggles attracting industry, and inadequate state and local involvement led to the program’s rapid demise. For the thirteen communities that went bankrupt, loan guarantees of $300 million and assistance of $72 million were provided by the government. The Program was shut down in 1976, just six years after its founding.