A visionary in the real estate world, Rouse was famous for planning and revitalizing suburban and urban areas. Rouse created the "festival marketplace" concept in cities and the indoor mall in suburbs. Beginning with Boston's Quincy Market, Rouse repeated his successful inner-city marketplaces throughout the United States. An "urban pioneer," Rouse also planned the entire town of Columbia, MD, based on his ideal of an "open community" where all races and levels of income would be represented.