First Five Locations Announced for Dallas Greening Initiative
On Friday, Dallas Park & Recreation officials and Trust for Public Land (TPL) leaders unveiled the first four locations of city-owned properties that could be transformed into new community greenspaces for neighborhoods across the city. TPL also announced that they had received a $1 million gift from Lyda Hill Foundation and $250,000 gift from the Meadows Foundation in support of the program. Combined with the $1.25 million in ARPA funding committed by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, this brings the total funding available for the program to $2.5 million.
The first locations include:
- 7327 Lake June Rd, Dallas, TX 75217
- 3749 Cotillion Dr, Dallas, TX 75228
- 10600 Black Walnut Dr, Dallas, TX 75243
- 3728 High Vista Dr, Dallas, TX 75244
- 2100 Echo Lake Dr, Dallas, TX 75253
The locations will be the first of the planned 15 total that will all be part of the initiative to provide access to greenspaces in communities where access is limited or nonexistent.
“We are thrilled to see the next big steps of the Dallas Greening Initiative moving forward,” said Dallas Park Board President Arun Agarwal. “These locations will be a great fit for communities, and will allow for close-to-home access to the outdoors. I appreciate the hard work on this effort, and look forward to continued community input on each property.”
The locations were carefully identified and selected as potential opportunities through in-depth data analysis of city-owned properties and communities lacking access to greenspaces. TPL further prioritized locations based on the presence of urban heat islands, health disparities, and equity indicators.
“Parks and greenspace are some of the best tools a city can use to improve public health, fight climate change, and build equity,” said TPL Texas State Director Robert Kent. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with city and neighborhood leaders to make the benefits of close-to-home greenspace available to everyone.”
With the first five locations identified and funding secured, TPL and City of Dallas will now begin an extensive community engagement process with each neighborhood to understand their needs and priorities. Mayor Johnson recalled his own experience when describing the importance of community greenspaces.
“When I was a kid growing up in West Dallas and Oak Cliff, parks were critical to my wellbeing,” said Johnson. “My own experiences drove me to announce this initiative last year, and to dedicate my own discretionary funds towards this vision last spring. Now, with the announcement of these locations, momentum continues to build and there is clear evidence that Dallas is on track toward becoming the greenest major city in Texas.”
Once community engagement is complete, construction and site development can begin. The first greenspaces are expected to open in 2025. Dallas Park and Recreation Department will provide ongoing maintenance of the new greenspaces. TPL will help form “Friends of” groups for each park to help provide volunteer stewardship, such as periodic volunteer beautification events. TPL will also establish a fund to help cover long-term maintenance and repair costs.
In April, Mayor Johnson appointed Garrett Boone as Dallas’ first “Greening Czar” to help guide the effort in collaboration with TPL, the city and neighbors. According to Boone, bringing greenspaces to neighborhoods is a key to improving communities.
“As I’ve said before, Dallas is full of natural beauty hidden in plain sight, and this initiative will help identify these locations so we can elevate neighborhoods by providing greater access to the many benefits greenspaces provide for residents across the city,” Boone explained.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors.To learn more, visit tpl.org.
About Dallas Park & Recreation Department
The Dallas Park and Recreation Department is one of the largest municipal park systems in the nation and provides for the management, supervision, coordination, and implementation of an array of leisure service opportunities, including such organized activities as athletics, sports, arts, crafts, drama, physical fitness, music, and aquatics, utilizing recreation centers, athletic fields, swimming pools, open space, schools, and special facilities. The parks system includes over 20,812 park land acres which encompass 410 parks, 7 lakes, 4,658 surface acres of water and over 177 developed trail miles. Park amenities include playgrounds, picnic shelters, tennis courts, soccer and football fields, baseball and softball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, basketball and volleyball courts and disc golf.
