Parks for Downtown Dallas

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Established in 2015, the nonprofit\nParks for Downtown Dallas has focused on delivering four priority parks where\ndiverse communities can gather and thrive, greatly enhancing the city\u2019s\ndowntown core. The organization is a powerful example of a public-private\npartnership operating at the highest level to realize a bold vision in an era\nof tight and shrinking municipal budgets. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Like many cities nationwide, Dallas\u2019\ndowntown was developed as a commercial district that essentially went dark at\nthe end of the business day. In the 1990s, just 200 people made downtown Dallas\ntheir home, though today, that number has grown to more than 15,000 and\ncontinues to rise. Green and community recreational spaces were scarce 25 years\nago, while surface parking was a hallmark. An original master plan, published\nin 2004, helped address the situation by adding three parks to the city between\n2009 and 2012."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Investors have funneled nearly $7 billion\ninto downtown Dallas since 2000, and its rapid growth spurred the city\u2019s parks\nand recreation department to revisit its strategic plan in 2013 and identify\nfour priority parks that would complete its center city park system. Since its\nestablishment just two years later, Parks for Downtown Dallas has overseen the\ncreation three vital parks: Pacific Plaza, West End Square, and Carpenter Park.\nThe fourth and final, Harwood Park, is slated to open later this year. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Parks for Downtown Dallas and the\ncity\u2019s parks and recreation department has engaged Dallas\u2019 philanthropic\ncommunity, which has contributed more than $56 million in gifts for park design\nand construction, operations, future capital improvements, and permanent\nendowments. The citizens of Dallas also provided $39.4 million through public\nbond funds for constructing one of the priority parks and parkland purchases\nfrom Parks for Downtown Dallas. The organization took the proceeds from those\nsales and reinvested them into the four priority parks. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"To realize four\nworld-class parks that will stand the test of time, the nonprofit turned to\nprofessionals at SWA, Hargreaves Jones, James Corner Field Operations, and Ten\nEyck Landscape Architects, to design them. In turn, the firms were supported by\nan additional 44 design, engineering, and consulting firms."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The four priority parks were envisioned\nas more than green spaces in a bustling commercial district. To succeed, Parks\nfor Downtown Dallas realized that the parks must connect neighborhoods, bolster\nthe community\u2019s health, and improve the city\u2019s environment. To design four\nworld-class parks that will stand the test of time, the nonprofit turned to\nprofessionals at SWA, Hargreaves Jones, James Corner Field Operations, and Ten\nEyck Landscape Architects. In turn, the firms were supported by an additional\n44 design, engineering, and consulting firms. Parks for Downtown Dallas has collaborated\nwith 24 discrete city departments, commissions, and boards, along with nine other\nexternal organizations, including AIA Dallas and the Architecture and Design\nFoundation. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As construction of the priority parks\nwinds down, Parks for Downtown Dallas has begun shifting its mission to ensure\nthe long-term stewardship of the park system. As the city\u2019s growth and maturity\ncontinue, its government remains hard-pressed to fund critical upkeep and\nnecessary improvements to the parks. The nonprofit has therefore set a\nremarkable goal of raising $50 million for maintenance, security, and community\noutreach for the priority parks and the city\u2019s other parks. "]]]]}