Dallas, TX
In Dallas, Even the Sidewalks Are for Sale
The city of Dallas once again wants to monetize its sidewalks. Later today, the Dallas City Council will be briefed on a plan to enter into a contract in June with a company that will plant interactive digital kiosks in downtown and other neighborhoods, likely on sidewalks. The vendor would make money from advertising and share the revenue with the city for permission to use Dallas’ right of way.
We’ve been through this before. There are 137 bulbous kiosks presently jutting out into walking paths all over the city, from downtown up to Forest Lane. The City Council unanimously approved them in 2005 and by the next year, then Mayor Laura Miller was complaining about the “giant spaceship[s]” on our public sidewalks. Whoops! Today, 18 years since their installation, some slump and lean. The plastic that covers the ad has turned scratched and cloudy, a decent canvas for quick graffiti. Some of them were placed, as the image above these words shows, right where people walk. The city can’t pull them up until 2026, when the existing contract expires.
I suppose it’s important to note that the kiosks the City Council will learn about today are not exactly like the tubes that we’ve learned to live with. They’re sleeker, about 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide, compared to the 6-foot-tall, 4-foot-deep stubs that don’t do much other than show you an Amazon Prime ad. The new ones will have wifi. They can provide directions and highlight events and other amenities. Some can have EV charging, which might work near parks. The presentation also lists such unbelievably vague and nebulous benefits as, in the city’s words, “limitless innovation” that promises “development of state-of-the-art content and features.”
So they’re like a bunch of really big, static smartphones that we may or may not have to dodge as we’re walking to work. And we’ll have them by the World Cup! And when the World Cup leaves, we’ll still have them.
Since 2006, the city has made $16.7 million from the kiosk program, which sort of sounds like the municipal version of a low-yield savings account. There are many people who don’t think the potential revenue is worth the risk of worsening our already subpar pedestrian infrastructure. Too, the Department of Public Works didn’t ask for public input before putting the matter out to bid. Downtown businesses, already frustrated by the existing obstacle course of kiosks, raised a stink. In February, the City Council ordered public works to pull the bid and hold a couple of listening sessions, which concluded this week.
They did not find much support for the idea.
“This plan has been met with overwhelming opposition from stakeholders throughout the greater Downtown area who say there is no appetite for more urban sidewalk obstructions,” said Jennifer Scripps, the executive director of Downtown Dallas Inc. Her concerns were echoed by Councilmember Paul Ridley, whose district includes downtown, Uptown, and portions of East Dallas. DDI on Tuesday night sent a letter to Council urging them to deny issuing another Request for Proposals. (The RFP is the formal name for the bid.)
Stephanie Hudiburg, the executive director of the Deep Ellum Foundation, pointed to the special purpose sign district ordinance that explicitly bans digital displays and signage in the neighborhood just east of downtown. (The foundation hasn’t submitted an official stance to the city, but it seems like they got ahead of the issue.)
“A large part of the intent behind that particular rule was to preclude digital kiosks, which city staff can attest to,” she wrote in an email. “As a historic district, our stakeholders prioritized an analog vs. digital aesthetic as most fitting to Deep Ellum.”
The city’s own presentation lists a litany of concerns: impeding walkability, violating ADA, vehicular distractions, “negative aesthetic,” and potential for vandalism. The two pros include public safety additions like emergency call buttons and cameras, and the promotional aspect of “showcasing local businesses.”
Intentional or not, the RFP appears tailored for an Ohio-based vendor called IKE Smart City, LLC. (That stands for Interactive Kiosk Experience.) Dallas employees identified 18 other cities that have entered into agreements with the company, each of which makes sure to say that their 8-foot-tall kiosks are “multilingual” and “ADA-compliant.” The city wants to move quickly. It is asking Council for permission to reissue the RFP in May and approve it by June.
During a briefing last May, Hatefi could not say how many are being proposed or where they might be located. That would get worked out in the contract. Too, the city doesn’t seem to know how much revenue this might bring in. We do know the revenue is tied to selling ads, so Hatefi expected they would be placed near “the most advantageous locations that their advertising could generate revenue.” Which likely means in places where people are walking. (And 20 percent of them will be in “equity zones” defined by the city.)
City records show that registered lobbyist Randall Bryant organized at least two meetings in 2022 with Assistant City Manager Robert Perez on behalf of IKE Smart City. There was also a phone call with City Councilmember Tennell Atkins that same year. (Bryant didn’t respond to questions.)
There are scenarios where these can work. Dallas Area Rapid Transit has installed more than 300 digital kiosks near some of its bus and rail stations, which are set aside and deliver status updates to riders. The kiosks being considered by the city of Dallas are clearly intended for tourists. Maybe they work around Fair Park, as Councilmember Adam Bazaldua has suggested, or the Southern Gateway Deck Park once it opens. Klyde Warren, the Farmers Market, the future convention center—sure, maybe, but they shouldn’t be in sidewalks.
You can probably walk outside your office right now and find an example of why.
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Matt Goodman
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Matt Goodman is the online editorial director for D Magazine. He’s written about a surgeon who killed, a man who…
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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