Making The Vision A Reality

Business Center or Corridor

This is a combination of large office and retail buildings and multi-family housing. Buildings include office towers and condos or apartments. These areas are automobile-oriented and are usually positioned at intersections of highways or along major arterials.

Example: Galleria Area

Industrial Area

Industrial areas are composed of a mix of low and medium-density industrial buildings. They often consist of industrial yards and campuses separate from other uses. This development type has a large amount of surface parking and is often located near highways and heavy rail lines.

Example: Southport

Commercial Center or Corridor

These areas generally are service and job destinations but may also contain some apartments and condos. They are similar to business centers or corridors but are at a smaller scale and density and have plenty of parking.

Example: Preston Center

Residential Neighborhood

These areas consist primarily of single-family, detached homes with the occasional duplex or small apartment building. At key intersections, some shops and restaurants may support the neighborhood. Developed areas within this designation are expected to remain largely unchanged.

Example: Winnetka Heights

Through hard work and dedication from the public and the forwardDallas Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, several vision strategies have been developed that will propel Dallas toward an even more successful future. These strategies cover a range of topics, representing solutions for many of the issues that were discussed during the workshops and public opinion research. While each strategy is unique, they all build upon one another and fold directly into a common goal - to move the vision from concept to reality.

Environmental Protection

Enacting protection measures for streams and floodplains is a priority for the City of Dallas. These protections will enhance public safety from flooding and water quality, through preservation of nature's water filtration and storage system. Measures will also improve natural conditions for future generations.

Creating Strong And Healthy Neighborhoods

Dallas residents want to preserve and promote stable neighborhoods. By designating "areas of stability," or stable neighborhoods, the City could better protect the neighborhoods that Dallas residents value most. In addition, by designating "areas of change," or areas with the potential for redevelopment, the City could focus development efforts on enhancing and improving areas that are in a state of decline. To help work with all kinds of neighborhood issues, a neighborhood stability program should be established. This program would include an officially recognized network of neighborhood organizations that would work directly with City officials to involve neighbors in planning efforts.

Strengthening Downtown Dallas

Downtowns need reinvigoration over time, and Dallas is no exception. Potential strategies for downtown Dallas could include enhancing the main street retail core, as well as capitalizing on a future second downtown light-rail line to create new mixed-use areas where people would want to live and work. Of particular interest would be enhancing the local arts and culture scene, converting vacant office space into vibrant residential and retail space and reconnecting downtown to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Making Quality Housing Accessible

By enhancing existing home ownership programs and creating new incentive programs, the City could create more opportunities for people to own their own home or condominium.

The City needs a program to address areas with run-down rental residential buildings and convert them into attractive new structures. This program can be developed in partnership with local community development organizations, neighborhood groups, developers and others.

The City could help schools and neighborhoods better serve and support one another through better planning and coordination of land use, infrastructure and school needs within the larger community.

Healthy communities depend on a strong and evolving economy. To remain economically competitive, Dallas needs to focus on becoming a truly integrated City with a strong civic infrastructure, a unique quality of place, and an educated work force. The Dallas sales tax base could be improved by developing a formal retail strategy to attract new businesses while strengthening existing ones. Southern Dallas also presents excellent opportunities for developing vacant or underused land with housing and jobs. Strengthening existing employment centers, such as those related to the medical sector, technology and education, could support and attract large employers. With two major airports and two minor airports, it also is critical to coordinate Dallas' economic and transportation plans with airports.

As Dallas matures, new land-use tools are needed to respond to the changing market by making new types of developments as easy as conventional ones. Establishing economically viable mixed-use zones would strongly encourage developments with a combination of retail shops, businesses and residential space. These mixed-use zones would also promote pedestrian-friendly environments and a range of transportation options.

In addition, redevelopment tools should be further developed to spur positive growth in areas that are underused but accessible to the existing infrastructure. By actively promoting transit-oriented development, the City can partner with DART to build vibrant stations that support nearby businesses and residents. In developing new areas such as the University of North Texas campus, the City should develop a proactive new planning approch to guide and assist private planning efforts.

Dallas depends on mobility - which means people, goods and services are supported by a strong transportation system. All modes of transport would benefit tremendously from a livable streets program, which would ensure that streets and neighborhoods are designed to emphasize safety, human-scale design and aesthetics. While Dallas is increasingly a regional metropolis, residents traveling across town also would benefit from new transportation options and linkages. East-west bicycle lanes, transit lines and other elements would offer more choices and would better connect the region, its employers and its neighborhoods.