A case study of Dallas development and planning politics.
Sharon Grigsby, columnist for the Dallas Morning News, reports on the plans for Bonton Village, a 12-acre development in the Lake Highlands neighborhoods of Dallas that will "include a 4-acre urban farm and farmer’s market alongside 120 tiny homes for some of District 10′s most vulnerable homeless neighbors. Also on the site will be a café, coffee shop, co-working space and workforce training center."
According to Grigsby, the plans for the site have been the source of controversy in recent months. A previous plan to develop a homeless housing project on the site met opposition from local residents and local Councilmember Adam McGough. Those opponents were called NIMBYs, according to Grigsby, who argues that McGough had a better plan all along.
"Earlier this month, the City Council’s Economic Development Committee greenlighted a key next step for McGough’s transformative project, Bonton Village @ Lake Highlands. The proposal for 12000 Greenville not only provides housing for the homeless, but jobs, commercial opportunities and neighborhood assets -- everything the original plan lacked," according to Grigsby. The proposal also allows a chance for Benton Farms, currently located in South Dallas as showcased in the video above, to expand its model for urban farming to the Lake Highlands neighborhood as a launching pad for national attention.
The source article includes more details of the remaining obstacles for the project to reach approval.
FULL STORY: Critics cried NIMBY when Lake Highlands rejected homeless housing, but Bonton Village plan looks like a win
Adaptive Reuse Successes in Dallas
The rise in office vacancies is fueling a boom in adaptive reuse projects.
Largest TOD in North Texas Breaks Ground Near Dallas
The mixed-use complex features over 400 housing units, offices, retail, and park space.
Dallas Ahead of the Game in Adaptive Reuse
Thanks in part to a state tax credit created in the early 2000s, downtown Dallas is set to create roughly 1,500 new housing units by converting office buildings to residential uses.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions