Dallas Architecture Forum Panel Discussion Examines Economics and Architecture

As Dallas continues to mature and it enters the next stage of civic life, we will witness transformation marked by progressive urban, cultural, and architectural changes.

Jeff Whittington

However, progress and growing pains often come together, as exemplified by the recent Supreme Court decision regarding Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. This case rendered Texas’ current affordable and low-income housing tax credit allocation unconstitutional, and its subsequent decision has forced many developers to re-consider their development strategies and will have architects re-examining what neighborhood context looks like.

This Supreme Court decision will impact our definition of neighborhoods in Dallas, and it can give birth to a vibrant and exciting phase of our city’s growth if we allow it to.

The next Dallas Architecture Forum (DAF) panel discussion on May 10 at 6:30 p.m. will explore all of those possibilities, and how what may be viewed as a setback might invigorate the neighborhoods of our city.

The event will be moderated by Jeff Whittington, executive producer for special projects and KERA’s Think series, as well as host of Anything You Ever Wanted to Know on KERA 90.1 FM. He also created and launched the KXT Live Sessions series for KXT 91.7 FM.

“Moderator Jeff Whittington will be joined by expert panelists including a Dallas City Council member, a representative from City Square, and academic thought leaders,” said DAF Executive Director Nate Eudaly. “They will discuss the impact of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. and how it will define our neighborhoods.”

Panelists will include:

• Rev. Gerald Britt, Vice President of External Affairs – City Square
• Scott Griggs, Dallas City Council member – District 1
• Maria Martinez-Cosio, PhD., Associate Professor at Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs – The University of Texas at Arlington
• Shima Hamidi, Assistant Professor of Planning – The University of Texas at Arlington

The DAF panel will be held at The Dallas Center for Architecture, 1909 Woodall Rogers Freeway, Suite 100. It is free and will be begin at 6:30 p.m., with an informal reception at 6:15 p.m. No reservations are needed.

For more information on the Dallas Architecture Forum, or the panel discussion series, visit www.dallasarchitectureforum.org or call 214-764-2406.