Dallas Greening Initiative

Green spaces are essential for healthy, happy, and resilient communities. And yet, there are over 300,000 Dallas residents that don’t have a park or green space within a 10-minute walk of home. This park equity gap can have lasting effects for generations, which is why Trust for Public Land is partnering with the City of Dallas to increase park access through an innovative and effective initiative.

In 2022, Mayor Eric Johnson requested an inventory of vacant city-owned land that could be redeveloped into public green space. To lead this Dallas Greening Initiative, he turned to TPL to help transform these spaces into new neighborhood parks for everyone to enjoy.

Using our GIS expertise and data tools like ParkServe, we’ve been able to pinpoint 15 future green space locations in communities that need it most. We’re working hand-in-hand with Dallas Park and Recreation Department and residents to create new green spaces at these locations that are welcoming, close-to-home, and fit the size and needs of their communities. Now, the first five pilot parks are set to begin construction in 2025 with an anticipated park completion every 18 months.

To ensure that these green spaces are safe and useable for all, TPL helped develop a maintenance plan for these spaces. Dallas Park and Recreation Department will maintain these new green spaces, and TPL is collaborating with residents to establish “friends of” groups that will provide volunteer stewardship for their new green space. TPL is also establishing a long-term maintenance fund to support the park’s servicing and preservation.