Urban geographer Shelley Mastran will explore Reston's planned-community roots in a free talk Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne.

The program, titled "Reston: Exemplar of Urban Design," runs from 7 to 8 p.m. at 1609-A Washington Plaza N. The Reston Museum said the presentation will trace the history of planned communities, examine their defining characteristics and discuss how urban design shapes a sense of community.

Mastran, a Reston resident, holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Maryland. Her doctoral research focused on land investment activity in Fairfax County between 1958 and 1977. As of a 2019 curriculum vitae from Virginia Tech, she served as a Professor in Practice in Urban Affairs and Planning and sat on the Reston Historic Trust board and the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee.

The talk arrives as Reston's planned-community identity faces fresh scrutiny. NVHomes has proposed building 306 stacked townhomes on roughly 10 percent of the 166-acre Reston National Golf Course under the name "Evolution18." Opponents argue the project conflicts with Reston's Comprehensive Plan and the Planned Residential Community (PRC) zoning district.

"Bob Simon needed something the county's zoning couldn't do at the time, and the county created the PRC district in 1962 to make Reston possible as the country's first planned community," Michele Hudnall, president of a local homeowners' association, said in an August Fairfax Times report on the golf course proposal.

Separately, Halley Rise Holdings LLC has filed a development plan amendment to rearrange office, housing, retail and parks across four undeveloped blocks near the Reston Town Center Metro station, according to Patch.

Admission is free. The Reston Museum asks attendees to RSVP through its website to help with preparation.

Upcoming Reston Museum events:

• Free Lake Anne Walking Tours continue on a regular schedule. Dates are listed at restonmuseum.org.
• The Reston Home Tour is listed among upcoming events on the museum's calendar.