Inside the Transformation of Deep Ellum

Tristan Hallman reports on the changes in Deep Ellum, a neighborhood in Dallas undergoing transformation as new residents and development investment arrive in a wave of urban revitalization.

Deep Ellum is having a moment. Parking can be hard to come by. Crowds fill the sidewalks day and night for barbecue and ice cream and live music and doughnuts and craft beer.

The problem, according to the premise examined by Hallman, is whether Deep Ellum is losing some of the essential "weirdness" that used to be the neighborhood's defining quality. On the other hand, some of the neighborhood's weirdness was a result of a repeated cycle of economic downturns and lack of investment, soe some stakeholders in the neighborhood now hope to leverage new residential population for the long-term stability of Deep Ellum.

Urban planner Patrick Kennedy is among the sources for the article—Kennedy's participation in the article ensures mentions of a proposal to remove I-345 adjacent to Deep Ellum and the catalyst for the neighborhood's revitalization originating from pedestrian friendly Elm Street.