JANUARY

TTF shared results from Phase One of the Equitable Engagement component of the SWMD project in which 1,942 community members voiced their thoughts and opinions about how the Medical District could be transformed along the Harry Hines corridor. 

FEBRUARY

An Executive Committee of the SWMD Planning Advisory Committee was formed. Dubbed the 'Four-Person Committee', this group meets monthly and holds discussions about the SWMD Master Plan Update, the SWMD Mobility Study, and the Harry Hines Green Spine and Park Project.

In coordination with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), meetings were held with the City of Dallas, Dallas County, and DART to talk about utilities, public works and emergency services planned or proposed for the streetscape and park project.

Considering that Harry Hines is a 75-year-old converted rural freeway predating I-35, the different agencies have seen many challenges. Feedback on existing water, wastewater and storm drain systems, and information about overlapping projects all to help institute best practices in the design and construction process.

MARCH

The team presented an overview of the project and findings from Phase One of the Equitable Engagement component to the Dallas American Institute of Architects (AIA) Communities by Design Forum.

APRIL

Phase One of the Nature Lab component of the project began. Started as an initiative to utilize evidence-based-design to ensure human health was at the forefront of design, it is largely an effort to make real change in environmental health, to shift the eco-paradigm from conversation to action, through robust research, scientific education, impacts on policy change, and strategic collaborations.

Find more information about Nature Lab here.

MAY

TTF collaborated with Medical District representatives to redefine how to balance needs and opportunities in the corridor through five project pillars, which will help guide the design effort. The five pillars are: User Experience, Campus Character & Livability, Human & Environmental Health, Safety & Security, Traffic & Mobility.

JUNE

Plans for Phase Two of the Equitable Engagement component were finalized. Utilizing what we learned in Phase One, the team will continue to work with engagement consultant, MIG. We want to receive input from all District users, on amenities and programming for the streetscape and park. Beginning in 2023, engagement will include a digital survey, focus groups, open houses with virtual attendance options with a digital whiteboard for comments. See an example here.

JULY

Committed to preserving the rich history of the SWMD, TTF commissioned a book to record the narrative of this historic area, then weave this into the design process, to inform landscape design and future interpretive signage and tours, while also providing District users a unique attachment to place.

Edits for this book were finalized, and the team met with publisher, Deep Vellum, a local publishing group well-known for their contributions to humanities in Texas. Plans for publishing and marketing events are still being formalized. Get a peek into the coming book here, in our September newsletter.

AUGUST

Pilot study data was released in our two-part newsletter series on urban heat. Research found that surfaces within the same urban heat island as the SWMD could reach temperatures as high as 157.6 degrees on a hot summer day.

Link to part one here.

Link to part two here.

The SWMD team was interviewed by CBS news! The interview highlighted efforts by TTF and partners to bring tree canopy and nature access to the District. A healing landscape for the second largest employment area in Dallas, also home to some of the worst heat and pollution impacts due to the urban heat island effect.

SEPTEMBER

Project team members met with U.S. Congressman Colin Allred to provide an update on the project and outline future funding opportunities. 

The team participated in the SMU Hunt Institute ImpactNights and used the SWMD project to launch the conversation on how Extreme Heat effects Public Health, Urban  Design, and Equity.

In the Media

The Dallas Morning News featured information about the project, its proximity in the urban heat island, and the evidence-based design approach using meteorological sensors.

OCTOBER

TTF celebrated 40 years of helping communities achieve better access to nature and a healthier, happier quality of life in North Texas, with plans to continue this work in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond.

The SWMD project partnered with SMU and Dr. Sadler, professor and chair of the Data Science program to use microclimatic data from the pilot study to teach students about statistical concepts.

The team met with Dr. David Lary, a former NASA research professor and physics professor at UT Dallas. Professor Lary introduced the team to his innovation lab with a hands-on demonstration and discussion of state-of-the-art environmental monitoring devices he and his students are pioneering.

Team members were invited to become Professional Fellows for the Microclimatic Design Research Group (MDRG) at Texas A&M with Dr. Robert Brown, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning as Professional Fellows. The group is dedicated to studying how urban design affects the microclimate and how microclimate affects the health and well-being of people, with members across the globe.

NOVEMBER

The Hub was successfully installed on Parkland's roof. This was a critical step in launching the EBD research. The hub will read data from the meteorological sensors that will be deployed in the Medical District. The data will be used to impact landscape design and amenities for the park and streetscape of the project.

DECEMBER

The team applied for the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s Deb Mitchell Award, a research grant that honors Deb Mitchell, a champion for the value of research in the landscape architecture practice. The team also applied for a Texas Historical Foundation grant to cover the cost of publishing the SWMD History Book, and to draw attention to the unique history of the Medical District and the surrounding area.