Neighbors Can Help Plan Future Land Use at ForwardDallas Open Houses Starting Aug. 29

Between budget and bond election town halls, there’s a meeting in a Dallas neighborhood almost every night of the week — and ForwardDallas is getting in on the action starting Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Neighborhood activism appears to be on the upswing as longtime residents and newcomers to the area recognize the city values their input. 

At the ForwardDallas open houses, city staff will review a draft map based on input gathered from residents last spring, said Senior Outreach Specialist Chanel Williams. 

ForwardDallas is a comprehensive land use plan that addresses how the city will accommodate growth and change over the next several years. It’s not about zoning, but rather deals with “placetypes,” specific uses that ought to go in certain locations. And it’s heavily dependent on feedback from the people who live in Dallas neighborhoods. 

ForwardDallas Open Houses 

The following open houses are scheduled to review the draft land use plan. All meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Aug. 29 at Singing Hills Rec, 8806 Patrol Way, 75241
• Aug. 31 at Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 Jefferson Blvd., 75208
• Sept. 6 at Thurgood Marshall Rec, 5150 Mark Trail Way, 75232
• Sept. 7 at Renner Frankford Library, 6400 Frankford Road, 75252
• Sept. 13 at Walnut Hill Rec, 10011 Midway Road, 75229
• Sept. 14 at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 1819 MLK Jr. Blvd, 75215
• Sept. 18 at West Dallas Multipurpose Center, 2828 Fish Trap Road, 75212
• Sept. 20 at Central Library, 1515 Young St., 75201
• Sept. 21 at Bachman Lake Rec, 2750 Bachman Drive, 75220
• Sept. 28 at White Rock Hills Library, 9150 Ferguson Road, 75228
• Oct. 4 at Vickery Park Library, 8333 Park Lane, 75231

“There is an imbalance in Dallas neighborhoods that may limit education, income-earning potential, and life expectancy,” Assistant Director of Planning and Urban Design Andrea Gilles told CandysDirt.com in January. “No resident’s life outcomes should be negatively affected by their ZIP code.”

Dallas has more than 1,000 planned developments, a queue of 17 neighborhoods awaiting authorized hearings for zoning changes, and a history of exclusionary zoning. An updated comprehensive land use plan can put the Planning and Urban Design Department in a more proactive role going forward, city officials have said.