Neighborhood Plus Revitalization Plan for Dallas

HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENT UPDATE TO THE DALLAS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (2014-2015)

Neighborhood Plus was a targeted comprehensive plan update for the City of Dallas, Texas, designed to set a new policy course to rebuild the city with targeted neighborhood-based strategies and stanch the exodus of middle class households. The resulting document, Neighborhood Revitalization Plan for Dallas, has positioned the City of Dallas to take a strong role in preparation for a meaningful regional dialogue on critical issues facing the city.

The planning process engaged community-based stakeholders and partner agencies in a comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization and community building. This plan expanded beyond traditional housing policy, to focus on improving the quality of life for all residents with a holistic approach encompassing neighborhood quality, safety, mobility and access to health care, education, and jobs.

Fregonese Associates led a public outreach campaign that included a block party kickoff event, community visioning workshops and a two day housing symposium to vet potential strategies with diverse stakeholders from homebuilding, development, and lending, to transportation, social service and health agencies and active community-based nonprofits who all helped to inform the process. Neighborhood Plus’ Neighborhood Revitalization Plan for Dallas was built on extensive data analysis and mapping used to identify and target neighborhoods for improvements.

From this work, Fregonese developed six strategic goals that lay the foundation for building stronger neighborhoods through linking housing to crucial neighborhood-based services, fighting poverty and blight, attracting the middle class, and expanding homeownership and rental options. Each goal contains important policy suggestions complete with specific short term and long-term action steps to facilitate implementation and impact.