Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park Named Best New Dallas Park
Trust for Public Land (TPL) Texas alongside partners and the City of Dallas are honored to announce that Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park was named Best New Dallas Park in D Magazine’s 2025 “Best of Big D.”
Throughout the year, D Magazine editors and advisors scour Dallas and the greater North Texas region, checking out old favorites and new openings, in search of award-winning businesses, restaurants, services, parks and more that make Dallas the best. Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park, a 40-acre green space designed in partnership with the Highland Hills community, officially opened to the community in June 2025. It is the latest signature park that TPL has helped create along the scenic Five Mile Creek Greenbelt.
“Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park is a powerful reflection of Trust for Public Land’s mission and the extraordinary talent of our Texas team. This space represents what is possible when we listen deeply, partner authentically, and honor the vision of the community,” said Molly Morgan, Texas State Director for Trust for Public Land. “I am deeply grateful to our donors, civic leaders, and neighborhood partners who trusted us to bring this park to life. Their commitment and collaboration made this achievement possible. We are honored that D Magazine has recognized these collective efforts by naming Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park the Best New Dallas Park.”
Named in honor of Judge Charles R. Rose, a beloved Justice of the Peace and lifelong advocate for Highland Hills, the park stands as both a tribute to his leadership and a joyful new chapter for the community he championed.
In partnership with community leaders and the City of Dallas, with support from Texas Parks and Wildlife, TPL transformed Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park from a long vacant, expansive parcel into a vibrant community park featuring walking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, welcoming spaces to connect with nature, and a custom pavilion designed by HKS. A standout element is the State Farm Good Neighbor Outdoor Classroom, which includes an additional pavilion, free Wi-Fi, solar-powered lighting, and nature-based infrastructure such as Blackland prairie restoration, a rain garden, and permeable paving, made possible through funding and collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Greenspace Dallas. Thanks to the many vendors who built this project, led by TBG Partners, Phillips May Butler and Butler, Joint Venture, Design Jones, and The Projects Group, the park puts 4,000 Dallas residents within a 10-minute walk of a park.
What the community is saying
“This recognition from D Magazine is a tribute to what’s possible when community vision is met with thoughtful design and committed partnerships,” said Ron and Rebecca Gafford, Campaign Co-Chairs for Greener Dallas, Greater Dallas. “We’ve supported Trust for Public Land for over 30 years, but what TPL is doing here in Dallas to connect people to nature with parks and trails, particularly in neighborhoods like Highland Hills, is the most inspiring work we’ve seen. Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park is a standout example of how listening, trust, and investment can create places that truly reflect and serve the people who live there. We’re proud to support this work, and proud of the many partners who helped make it happen.”
“When I think about the kind of Dallas I want to help build, it’s one where every child, every family, and every neighborhood feels safe—and has a place to gather, play, and grow,” said Roland G. Parrish, Honorary Co-Chair of the Greener Dallas, Greater Dallas campaign. “Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park reflects the heart of that vision. It shows what’s possible when we invest in communities with care, with excellence, and with the belief that every part of this city deserves our best. The Greener Dallas, Greater Dallas campaign will deliver this kind of transformational work across neighborhoods that have waited too long. I’m proud to support it—and proud of what Dallas is becoming.”
“Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park shows what strategic investment can make possible in southern Dallas,” said Taylor Toynes, CEO of For Oak Cliff and national board member for Trust for Public Land. “When excellence reaches communities that have too often been overlooked, the impact is generational. This park is an anchor for health, safety and pride, and it proves that bold, equitable investment builds lasting opportunity.”
“A park like Judge Charles R. Rose is the demonstrated result of community input intersecting with intentional design,” said Chair of the Trust for Public Land Texas Advisory Board Asheya Warren. “TPL brought together neighbors and top tier architects and engineers, landscape designers, construction partners, and artists to imagine and deliver this project with care. The outcome reflects and encourages the way families gather, how children play, how elders rest and what the community deserves. I serve on this board because parks like Judge Charles R. Rose are a testament to inclusive, community-informed design. We listened, trusted, and built a place that reflects the neighbors. This recognition affirms what I believe deeply: when design follows community voice, beauty and belonging become reality.”
“Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park honors my father’s legacy of service and his deep love for this city. This recognition from D Magazine reflects what our community has always known—that when we invest in green spaces where families can gather, children can play, and neighbors can connect, we create lasting change,” said Texas State Representative Toni Rose. “I’m grateful to Trust for Public Land, the City of Dallas, and every partner who helped make this tribute into a beautiful reality that will serve generations to come.”
To support Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park and future Dallas parks, please visit Trust for Public Land’s website to learn more about the Greener Dallas Greater Dallas campaign and how you can get involved: https://www.tpl.org/our-work/greener-dallas-greater-dallas.
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 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. In Texas, TPL has preserved nearly 45,000 acres of land for public access to create several natural places treasured by Texans, including Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin, the popular Palo Duro Canyon in Canyon, Eagle Mountain Park in Fort Worth, and Buffalo Bayou in Houston. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
