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could accommodate more density in the form of mixed-use developments or a more diverse housing stock that still ts into the existing feel of the area. Due to the existing density of com- mercial developments and number of historic districts, Ridley said Dis- trict 14 residents will likely focus on redevelopment of neighborhoods when providing input for the update. That will likely include increasing density along major thoroughfares. “I’m less concerned about exactly where we’re going to locate a gas sta- tion or an o ce building than I am that [development] re ects the pref- erences and desires of our residents and our businesses who also have a stake in this,” Ridley said. Community input Since October, the Planning & Urban Design Department has been hosting its workshops hoping to gather as much feedback as possible from as many parts of the city as it can. That feedback will help it create the most equitable plan. At the meetings, which are still ongoing, city sta discuss details of the plan as it pertains to speci c regions of the city and the di erent place types that exist in the area, along with those that could exist there in the future. Place types range from rural residential to urban res- idential and from neighborhood commercial to urban core. After that, residents are asked to identify on maps the parts of their neighbor- hoods they would like to stay the same, along with those they would like to see changed in the future and what they would like to see put there. “Land use guides zoning decisions,
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Land use in 2006 When the ForwardDallas plan was rst adopted, city sta created a map showing the di erent land uses across the city.
community, they are usually more at ease in terms of what’s going to happen.” Development and preservation Across the city, Agu said some of the main themes from feedback received through meetings that have been held so far include connectivity and mobility, housing choice, com- munity design, environmental qual- ity, and economic development. Blackmon and Paul Ridley, Dis- trict 14 Dallas City Council member, said better connectivity to economic hubs and parks, along with main- taining the existing character of their districts were main areas of feedback they have heard from their residents. Ridley noted that District 14 saw the largest population increase on the 2020 census and contains the most historic districts. “The community wants to pre- serve what they have now, but I think where it makes sense, espe- cially along some corridors, they’re willing to explore a little bit [of den- sity],” Blackmon said. Blackmon said new development is beginning to push into the outer rings of the city, and that density is already increasing in District 9 with projects, such as those going on along Ferguson Road. She added that balancing the existing character of the area, which consists largely of single-family housing, while addressing areas where it can adapt to the city’s growth, are important to include in the ForwardDallas update. She pointed to places, such as the commercial corridors along Garland Road, Ferguson Road and Northwest Highway as examples of areas that
Urban mixed-use: multifamily housing and commercial use Residential neighborhood: single-family housing Commercial center or corridor: retail and commercial uses Urban neighborhood: single-family and multifamily housing Open space: park space and other undeveloped land
FOREST LN.
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“ FORWARDDALLAS IS GOING TO DETERMINE HOW OUR CITY LOOKS 20 YEARS FROM NOW.” PAULA BLACKMON, DISTRICT 9 COUNCIL MEMBER
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SOURCE:CITY OF DALLAS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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