Dallas, TX

New Report Shows Growing Impact of Dallas' Parks Building Boom

Published

2 years ago

May 22, 2024

New Report Shows Growing Impact of Dallas' Parks Building Boom

Later today, Mayor Eric Johnson will announce that Dallas jumped another five spots in the Trust for Public Land’s annual ranking of city park access. More Dallas residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk from their home than all other Texas cities except for Plano, which has long been atop the state’s rankings. We’re 38th in the country, which is up from 54th in 2019.

About 74 percent of residents now live within that 10-minute radius from a park. Our median park size is 7.8 acres, more than 2 acres above the national median. Much of the credit for this growth goes to the Trust’s Texas chapter, which has become a critical component of policy, advocacy, and execution in building out parks big and small throughout the city.

Last year’s splashiest addition was Big Cedar Wilderness, a 282-acre spread near Joe Pool Lake that had been owned by Liberty Bankers Life Insurance and was donated to the Trust. Trails for hiking and mountain biking snake through the pecan, oak, juniper, and ash trees. But the smaller initiatives have an outsized impact on park access, building the types of neighborhood green space that attract families and connect neighborhoods.

The Trust teamed with Dallas ISD, nonprofit Texas Trees Foundation, and the city to rebuild school playgrounds and tear down their fences so they could be used by the community after hours. Mayor Johnson directed the Trust to analyze all 2,800 city-owned parcels and figure out five that would be good locations for a park. The winning parcels are all in communities that didn’t have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, which included North Dallas, Pleasant Grove, Far East Dallas, Lake Highlands, and the Kleburg neighborhood of southern Dallas.

Mayor Mike Rawlings was one of the first mayors in the nation to sign his name to the Trust’s “10-Minute Walk to a Park” campaign, and Johnson has continued the momentum. Parks received $345 million of the recent $1.25 billion bond package, which includes new parkland, rec centers, and amenities.

We actually score a bit low on amenities, and the Trust dings us for our below-average amount of dog parks, rec centers, and playgrounds. Which they’ve dinged us for in the past. But the interesting thing is looking back to 2021, in the throes of COVID, when the Trust called out Dallas for furloughing 235 parks employees and expressed concern that park funding would be an immediate casualty of declining budgets.

Now, in 2024, the results show the opposite. Dallas continued to invest in its green infrastructure and landed some significant federal funding for ambitious projects, such as Southern Gateway Park over Interstate 35, and is finding ways to put smaller parks in neighborhoods that need them.

Plano, meanwhile, ranked 16th in the nation, and we still have plenty parts of town that are hotter than they need to be because of the urban heat island effect. We still have work to do, but Dallas is steadily growing one of its most critical public amenities.

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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…

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Dallas, TX

Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity

Published

9 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Dead, Opening Perfect Cowboys Opportunity

Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.

On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.

“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby leaves the field following a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.

Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.

Dallas’ Original Trade Offer

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reacts during the second half at SoFi Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.

“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.

Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas weather: Severe storms bring hail and tornado threats | See timing

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Dallas weather: Severe storms bring hail and tornado threats | See timing

DALLAS – Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to North Texas late Tuesday, bringing threats of damaging hail, high winds and localized flooding. While the primary concerns are wind and hail, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

Tuesday Forecast

Dallas weather: Mar. 10 morning forecast

We have another chance of severe storms starting Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologist Ali Turiano has your forecast and everything you need to know ahead of the storms.

Scattered showers and storms are expected to develop as a dryline to the west moves into the region. Storm conditions are expected to intensify as the day progresses.

The greatest concerns remain damaging winds and large hail. The leading edge of the storm front will likely be the most intense, with the potential for straight-line winds and brief spin-up tornadoes.

LIVE Radar: Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas Storms: Timing and Impact

The highest potential for severe weather in the Metroplex is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., though lingering activity could continue until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Residents are advised to seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued for their area.

7-Day Forecast

A final round of storms is expected Wednesday, primarily between noon and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. These storms carry a threat of half-dollar-sized hail and damaging winds.

Behind this system, North Texas will dry out and briefly cool off. Sunny skies return Thursday with a high in the mid-60s. Temperatures will then warm into the upper 70s on Friday before a sunny weekend with highs in the low 80s.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.

WeatherDallasFort WorthSevere Weather

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