Let’s keep the momentum going for Dallas parks

It’s a great time for Dallas parks. The 50-mile Loop Dallas trail is under construction. The Texas Department of Transportation recently completed construction of the bridge that will support Southern Gateway Park over Interstate 35 by the Dallas Zoo, enabling construction on the park itself to begin this November. And in May, Dallas jumped 10 spots from No. 53 to No. 43 in Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore rankings.

This Dallas parks renaissance isn’t by chance. A few short years ago, it felt like Dallas parks were stuck in neutral, coming in the bottom half of the ParkScore rankings year after year. Nonprofit, philanthropic and private sector partners recognized this challenge and came together in support of the 2017 bond package that included $311 million for Dallas parks. Thanks to this funding and innovative partnerships, nearly 300,000 Dallas residents have gained access to a park or trail within a 10-minute walk of home since then.

Building off this success, a group of park nonprofits came together to form the Dallas Parks Coalition with the goal of uniting all park advocates across the city for a greener and more equitable Dallas. Our growing membership includes more than a dozen park and trail organizations, from signature projects to neighborhood parks. Each of these parks is helping Dallas become a healthier, more connected, and more equitable city.

One of our core priorities is supporting the park department’s request for $399 million in the upcoming bond program. The proposal will fund park projects across the city, like trails that will provide safe routes to school, improving accessibility for people with disabilities, and cameras and lighting to make our parks safer. Critical investments in our recreation centers and pools will create more places for residents to exercise, gather with friends and neighbors, and beat the summertime heat. And thanks to partnerships with the nonprofit sector, over $80 million will be matched by private donors and state and federal agencies.

We don’t need to look very far to see what’s possible. In our neighboring city Plano, a full 80% of residents have a park or trail within walking distance of where they live (compared to just 73% in Dallas). They outpace us on the number of basketball hoops, dog parks and playgrounds per capita. And for the past 10 years, they have invested in their park system at nearly twice the rate we do in Dallas.

Mayor Eric Johnson’s call to make Dallas “the greenest and greatest city in Texas for parks” is within reach. The 2024 bond program is our chance to expand the benefits of parks to the city’s most underserved areas, leverage philanthropic matches and get closer to the goal of having the leading park system in Texas.

Fortunately, parks and trails are one of the best investments our city can make. HR&A Advisors found that every dollar invested in Dallas parks generates $7 in economic impact in the form of economic development, increased tax base, health care cost savings, tourism and more. These investments will also provide profound benefits to our city’s natural environment by improving water quality in our creeks and streams, protecting habitat for birds and wildlife, and helping Dallas achieve its collective climate action goals. For the benefit of our entire city, we must keep investing in parks!

Dallas parks are headed in the right direction and, with the 2024 bond program, we can extend that progress to every corner of the city. Investing in our parks, trails and green spaces will create healthier communities that support economic growth and environmental integrity with a strong return on investment. The Dallas Parks Coalition welcomes all to join the effort to create a greener and greater city for generations to come.

April Allen is president and CEO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation. Philip Hiatt Haigh is the executive director of the Circuit Trail Conservancy. Robert Kent is associate vice president and Texas state director for the Trust for Public Land. They are co-founders of the Dallas Parks Coalition. They wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News.

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