Planning Efforts Taking Off in Downtown Dallas

The Dallas Arts District will make a selection of a planning firm in the coming weeks to update the seminal 193 Sasaki plan responsible for much of the area's transformation in recent years and decades.

1 minute read

June 21, 2015, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Robert Wilonsky provides in-depth coverage of the ongoing changes in the Dallas Arts District, which received a big boost in May when Arts District leadership released a request for qualifications for an update to the seminal Sasaki Plan of 1983.

Submissions were due earlier this week, with an impressive list responding to the possibility of leading the effort, reports Wilonsky.

"The list is impressive and includes OMA (founded by Rem Koolhaas, one of the designers of the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre); Copenhagen-and-NYC-based Bjarke Ingels Group (which is doing Manhattan’s Two World Trade Center); SHoP Architects and, separately, Stoss Landscape Urbanism (which teamed up as the putative winners of the Connected Cities design challenge) and Manhattan-based H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture."

Wilonsky also notes that Sasaki Associates responded to the RFQ, "this time, in collaboration with Fregonese Associates, responsible for the ForwardDallas! development plan." July 13 is the expected date for the selection of a planning firm for the project.

Dallas Art District Executive Director Catherin Culler is quoted in the article explaining the need to move forward with the plan quickly: "We are under immense pressure to timely adopt this community development plan because of the parallel activities of Downtown Dallas Inc…and DART’s D2 alignment meetings, among other things." Wilonsky adds that Downtown Dallas Inc launched a 360 Plan update this same week.

Friday, June 19, 2015 in The Dallas Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO