Dallas' City Design Studio: Planning for the Future

It seems like the City Design Studio has been garnering all kinds of attention this summer. http://www.dallascityhall.com/citydesign_studio/index.html The Studio was formed in October 2009 as the result of a grant from the Trinity Trust Foundation with a goal of "bridging the gap" (pardon my Trinity pun) between City Hall and the communities along the Trinity. This private funding permits the Studio some freedom as it functions independently from the City, while actually being housed within City Hall.

Recently, the North Texas chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism hosted members of the Studio, including City Planner Larry Beasley of Vancouver fame, for a community gathering at the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff to speak with Dallasites about what they are doing in the Studio, their philosophy on city planning, and specifically their vision for the City. I was able to attend the event, and was blown away by the large turnout, and the general awareness that most attendees had about city design and the importance of smart, urban growth for Dallas in the coming years.

Mr. Beasley did not disappoint, giving a passionate introduction about the importance of smart design and how it affects community in a City. http://www.cnuntx.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66 He encouraged the audience to continue to think outside the box. Additionally, Brent Brown and David Whitley gave specifics about plans for the communities along the river. The community forums they have hosted with residents have encouraged a sense that the City's future is a choice for everyone, rather than change that will be forced from the top down. It is apparent that Oak Cliff and West Dallas residents have appreciated the chance to participate in shaping their City's future. Residents were offered an additional opportunity to listen and voice opinions at last Wednesday's Oak Cliff Chamber morning gathering where the City Design Studio members were in attendance again.

An important point made at the event related to the stunning population growth being experienced in Dallas. http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/23/real_estate/city_population_census_funding/index.htm New residents continue to move to Dallas seeking job opportunities and a high standard of living. Much of the impetus behind the Trinity Trust, the Studio, and the Trinity River Project in general is the realization that the land along the Trinity is generally under-developed.

Part of the Studio's recommendations involve high-density residential development. The fact of the matter is that the City must be proactive when planning for the future. The growth continues, and it is unlikely to slow. Where will these new citizens live? How do we draw the best and brightest to Dallas? How will be keep our transportation system functioning? How can we maximize tax revenues for the City with these new residents? What will additional citizens mean to our environment, particularly our air quality? Smart, walkable, urban development with public transit isn't just a luxury - for Dallas, it is quickly becoming a necessity. What do you want the Dallas of the future to look like?

Build It And They Will Come?

Dallas' Convention Center Hotel is steadily going up, floor by floor. The 23 story hotel has been a source of controversy since it was proposed as a necessary step in protecting and expanding Dallas' convention business. The City-owned hotel is being financed through bond sales and will be run by Omni Hotels. Many in the convention business insist convention center-adjacent hotels are essentially a requirement in order to land large conventions. The City hopes the new hotel will attract the "big fish" of the convention world.

The City conducted a vote in May 2009 on the hotel project, and citizens voted to support the $500M project. Part of the project promoted by pro-hotel forces was ancillary development adjacent to the hotel. The ancillary development was touted as part of a grander plan to energize the southwestern end of downtown near the convention center. This area of downtown has less restaurants and retail than others, and the hotel development is part of a plan to jump-start entertainment development by the private sector. In my opinion, the "mixed-use" portion of the plan was key to the hotel's viability and to the value of return on the City's investment.

Unfortunately, the much-heralded mixed-use portion of the project is likely to be delayed indefinitely. Blame the economy. Hotel developer Matthews Southwest stated in August '09 that he hopes to add mixed-use development on the remaining 2 acres of the hotel site. Hotel renderings show the space for ancillary development as "green space."

In my opinion, the City must be diligent in following through with the mixed-use portion of the project. If the City truly wants to get real bang for its buck on the new hotel, it should hold firm to developing additional entertainment options in the area. Otherwise, Dallas will have a shiny, new convention center hotel that is an island unto itself. Great for visitors arriving by car, but less attractive to pedestrians. Mayor Leppert and Downtown Dallas, Inc. regularly talk about "connecting the dots" of activity in the urban core. Here is an opportunity to make sure our expensive and important new "dot" is fully connected to other downtown "dots" so that our investment is fully realized.

Much has been made of the City's preferred route for the D2 DART rail line through downtown. The City officially prefers the B4b line that runs to the new convention center hotel. Of course, this happens to be the most expensive line option. By far. Unfortunately, the attention given to this issue is probably a moot point now that DART has announced budget issues that push D2's fate into the unknown. With D2's future up in the air, the ancillary development in the hotel project becomes ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT as a way of connecting the hotel with the rest of downtown. Proponents of pedestrian-friendly developments will be watching the hotel project as it finishes construction for signs of the all-important street-level developments promoted during the hotel debate.