
SMART GROWTH FOR DALLAS
About
In 2016, The Trust for Public Land, in partnership with bcWORKSHOP, the Texas Trees Foundation, and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, launched an effort to understand how parks, trails, and green spaces can help Dallas address environmental sustainability, economic inequality, and urban resilience—and thrive in the 21st century. Working with over 100 stakeholders, academic institutions, nonprofits, health providers, and community groups, we developed Smart Growth for Dallas to map and prioritize locations in Dallas where investments in parks, open spaces, and green infrastructure can improve the environmental, social, and economic resilience of the city.
The Smart Growth for Dallas Decision Support Tool is an interactive geo-mapping platform that draws upon hundreds of GIS-based datasets to target nature-based investments that can best serve the communities in the City of Dallas. Pairing community-articulated priorities with health, social, and environmental data, the Decision Support Tool was made available to the public in 2018. Since then, it has been used by countless partners to help make data-informed investments, including the acquisition of 42 acres of new parkland for the City of Dallas.
After launching the Decision Support Tool in October 2018, The Trust for Public Land published an update to the tool in July of 2020. Updated datasets included:
- Parcels
- Trails
- Parks
- Schools
- DART Stations
- Bus Stops
- Census Data
- Flood Zones
We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback. Please contact us at texas@tpl.org.
- Trails and transit lines provide carbon-free transportation and link residents to popular destinations and each other.
- Shady green spaces reduce the urban “heat island” effect, protect people from heat waves, and reduce summer energy use.
- Water-smart parks, playgrounds, and green alleys absorb rainfall, reduce flooding, and recharge drinking water supplies while saving energy for water management
- Shoreline parks and natural lands protect vulnerable infrastructure, neighborhoods, and residents from coastal and riverine flooding.
- Some health conditions are adversely impacted or exacerbated by climate impacts, such as extreme heat and degraded air quality. Parks and green infrastructure can reduce these impacts, while providing safe places for physical activity and healthy habits
- Low-income people and historically underserved communities are often at greater risk of being impacted from climate change, making action and investments for these communities a priority