Think of the last time you took a stroll through the Southwestern Medical District along Harry Hines. Chances are, once you found your way into one of the facilities, you didn’t venture out. That could be because you traveled through skybridges and enjoyed the indoor atriums and cafeterias, or because the area is a heat desert without adequate tree cover, pedestrian amenities, or safe crosswalks.
But Janette Monear, the President and CEO of the Texas Trees Foundation, is hoping to change all that. The tree planting nonprofit has a plan to transform the stretch of Harry Hines that includes UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center, and Parkland Hospital into a green space that invites pedestrians and development.
If things go to plan, 6,500 trees will be planted, 21 miles of sidewalk will be laid down, and a 7-acre public park called the Green Heart will be built where Harry Hines rises above Inwood. The project will improve tree-cover, reduce the heat desert, create walkability, and prevent flooding along the way.
Read about the forthcoming transformation in Matt Goodman’s January D Magazine story, “The Woman Who Fought the Sun.”
