We know that Klyde Warren Park is a success, and we know it’s a bigger success than anyone anticipated. But now, the New York Times is calling Dallas a smart city because of it. The paper did a piece about how New York is looking to revamp some of its less-pleasant, concrete areas. It mentions how Phoenix recently transformed a vacant lot into an urban park and garden and how San Francisco rents out curbside parking spaces for parklets. And, the whole reason for this post, the piece also mentions Dallas.
Nationwide, people moving downtown want to be in on the mix, too; they want pedestrian-friendly streets, parks and plazas. And smart cities are responding, like Dallas, whose Klyde Warren Park opened downtown last year atop the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, where it burrows for a few merciful blocks below ground. The place was buzzing when I passed by one recent weekend.
Let’s keep the momentum going. Let’s do as Zac suggested and build a park on the park.
