A Closer Look at the Big Park Plans Along Dallas' Trinity River

"Dallas, Texas, is getting a lot greener," according to an article by Leanna Garfield in explaining and describing plans for a 10,000-acre "nature district" along the Trinity River. That size would make the park 12 times as large as New York City's Central Park. "Featuring plenty of walkways, sports fields, trees, and other flora, the site will become one of the largest urban parks in America," writes Garfield.

The park's momentum gained a big boost last October, when Annette Simmons donated $50 million toward 285 acres of the ongoing project. (Naomi Martin reported on the big news at the time of the donation.) "Set to be complete by 2021 and costing $250 million, this portion will be called the Harold Simmons Park," according to Garfield.

The Harold Simmons Park still requires approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers due to its position in a floodplain. A series of renderings accompanying the article discusses, among other features of the larger Trinity River Project, design considerations to address flooding. "The park will naturally flood in controlled areas, and the water will drain into bioswales," and "[t]he areas most at risk for flooding, which will include sports fields and paved trails, will be elevated and farthest from the river."