The Trend Scenario
The Trend Scenario provides us with a picture of what our future could look like if we follow current trends - if we don't change any of today's development policies. It reflects employment and household projections through 2030 that were developed by the North Central Council of Governments for the City of Dallas.
Description
The Trend Scenario assumes that job growth will continue to outpace new housing in Dallas. It continues our current pattern of land development in which jobs, housing and shopping are separated. Most of the new household growth would occur in northern Dallas, even though most of the city's vacant land is in southern Dallas. Most new jobs would occur in existing job centers such as downtown and the Galleria but not in southern Dallas.
Turbocharged Growth
This growth scenario paints a far different picture. The purpose of the Turbocharged Growth Scenario is to discover what would happen if a rapidly growing economy is combined with a major increase in the number of people who want to live within the City of Dallas. Compared to the Trend Scenario, this scenario has about twice as many new jobs and nearly five times the number of new homes. This would bring the balance of jobs and housing in the City of Dallas close to the current average for the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
How it differs from the Trend Scenario
Unlike the Trend, this scenario has a better balance between jobs and housing and a wide range of housing options. This would allow more people to find the type of housing they want within Dallas. Land uses would take advantage of all types of transportation systems, particularly the extensive DART network. Housing and jobs would be located closer together. More mixed-use developments and pedestrian-friendly areas would allow for more choice in how people live and move around the city.
Vision Scenario
The Vision Scenario falls in between the Trend and the Turbocharged Growth scenarios and is based on what we heard during the public opinion survey and the workshops. Workshop participants showed through their maps that they wanted to increase Dallas' share of the regional households but felt that the current forecast for job growth was adequate.
How it differs from the Trend and Turbocharged scenarios
Similar to the Turbocharged Growth Scenario, the Vision Scenario brings housing and jobs closer together. Under this scenario, development is generally less intense than in the Turbocharged Growth Scenario. The Vision Scenario provides for a range of new housing types - from condos and townhomes to traditional single-family subdivisions - with a specific goal of creating more opportunities for people of all incomes to own their own home.
There are many transportation options under the Vision Scenario. The importance of the car is not forgotten. However, the opportunities for people who choose to live near transit, or close to jobs and shopping are expanded, providing choices for people to be less reliant on automobiles.
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