Podcast: The Land Use Plan That Has Some Dallasites Upset About Zoning

If you live in Dallas, you may not know about the ForwardDallas land use plan, but you’ve probably heard the rumor about that “zoning thing that will allow apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods.” On this episode of the Dallas Dirt podcast, we bust that myth and several others about this city planning initiative, and trace down the source of confusion.

CandysDirt.com Dallas City Hall Editor April Towery sits down with Interim Director of Planning + Urban Design Andrea Gilles and Chief Planner Patrick Blaydes to discuss what’s become a controversial land use plan titled “ForwardDallas.”

Of course, if you’re an avid CandysDirt.com reader, you’ve got the leg up. City Hall Editor April Towery and other staff have written at least two dozen stories about ForwardDallas, but admittedly, the content is dense and requires reader interest.

But if you’re new to the issue, or new to dialing in how it’ll affect you, this episode of Dallas Dirt will put you on the right track.

What is ForwardDallas? (And what it isn’t)

“ForwardDallas is a future land use guide; it’s not zoning,” Gilles explains. “It looks at the big picture of the city. What are the biggest issues we have going on today, and how we address them over the next five, 10, 15, or 20 years?”

In fact, it’s been nearly 20 years since the last update to the city’s comprehensive land use plan. The most recent ForwardDallas plan was created and adopted in 2006, when plainly Dallas looked very different than it does today.

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Myth-busting the Dallas "Forward Dallas" Land Use Plan – Dallas Dirt

If you live in Dallas, you may not know about the Forward Dallas land use plan, but you’ve probably heard the rumor about that “zoning thing that will allow apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods.” On this episode of the Dallas Dirt podcast, we bust that myth and several others about this city planning initiative, and trace down the source of confusion.CandysDirt.com Dallas City Hall Editor April Towery sits down with Interim Director of Planning + Urban Design Andrea Gilles and Chief Planner Patrick Blaydes to discuss what’s become a controversial land use plan titled “Forward Dallas.”

About the podcast: Dallas Dirt is a weekly audio and video podcast hosted by Candy Evans and the CandysDirt.com team. Listeners and viewers are invited to share their comments and suggestions at [email protected]. Dallas Dirt is accepting pitches for local Dallas and Texas-based podcast guests. PR requests and guest submissions may be emailed to [email protected]. Advertising and episode sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact [email protected] to inquire.