Study: South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park Contributes to 58% Reduction in Crime

In a recent study, researchers found that South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park has contributed to a 58 percent reduction in crime incidents resulting in calls to the police since its opening in November 2021.

On Thursday, Landscape Architecture Foundation released the report, backed by a CAPPA research team from the University of Texas at Arlington, as a part of the Landscape Performance Series that evaluates performance, values, and makes the case for projects like this park. Trust for Public Land (TPL) led park development brought together critical partners in Dallas who are also featured in the report, including For Oak Cliff, the South Oak Cliff Community, landscape architecture firm Studio Outside, Better Block, Dallas Park and Recreation, AIA Dallas’ Emerging Leader Class, The Nature Conservancy, Greenspace Dallas, and more. The findings included a host of positive environmental and social benefits for the surrounding community. These include environmental victories like an estimated savings of 830,105 gallons of water per year and an 82 percent reduction in water for irrigation than comparable City of Dallas parks. The study also includes positive social wins, with users reporting noticeable improvements in their physical and mental health and expanded access to parks for nearly 7,000 residents.

“This report shows that parks can be a part of the public safety solution for communities across Dallas,” said TPL Texas State Director Molly Morgan. “The most exciting part of this report shows that right here in Dallas, transforming vacant and forgotten spaces into green community assets that help communities thrive. This park and the research supporting it are just the beginning of our work to provide a close-to-home greenspace for every neighborhood, and resident, in Dallas. This work is clearly beneficial not only for the Oak Cliff community, but communities across the whole city.”

South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park is a 1.8-acre park located in the heart of Dallas, Texas, within the historically underserved South Oak Cliff neighborhood. It is the first of three signature parks planned for TPL’s Five Mile Creek Greenbelt project. Trust for Public Land partnered with For Oak Cliff, the community, and the City of Dallas to construct the park in response to South Oak Cliff High School students who organized a walkout to draw attention to the disinvestment within their community.

“Parks are one of the most powerful tools we have to combat inequality and incite change,” said For Oak Cliff co-founder and Executive Director and TPL National Board Member Taylor Toynes. “These results make it clear that our work to provide access to parks matters for communities across Dallas, especially for our most historically underserved neighborhoods.”

City leaders echoed Toynes’ sentiment.

“Dallas is experiencing a parks renaissance that is transforming the lives of residents across our city for the better,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “As Mayor, I have led for greater access to parks and creative solutions to bring greenspace to residents across our city because I know firsthand the positive impacts these natural spaces can provide.”

This study was conducted as part of the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s 2024 Case Study Investigation (CSI) program. CSI matches faculty-student research teams with design practitioners to document the benefits of exemplary high-performing landscape projects. Teams develop methods to quantify environmental, social, and economic benefits and produce Case Study Briefs for LAF’s Landscape Performance Series. Team members for this report included Research Fellow Letora Anderson, PLA, AICP, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, research assistants Heena Shrestha and Molly White, with design firm support from Studio Outside.

“The metrics are clear: South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park is providing effective solutions for a host of issues, including crime and environmental sustainability,” said Landscape Architecture Foundation representative Megan Barnes. “Residents and city leaders should be proud of their work to use this landscape to make positive strides towards environmental and social goals, and others should look to projects like this as an example of what is possible in neighborhoods across the country.”

The full case study can be found at: https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/south-oak-cliff-renaissance.

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 it is needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.