Forward Dallas – Planning and developing the city of Dallas through community feedback

(The Dallas Examiner) – Discrimination based on communities’ race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status has shaped Dallas. Old policies, programs and decision-making methods have contributed to location-based disparities in the city. Throughout its history, public transportation, housing loans, development investments and even utilities like broadband internet have not been equally distributed among neighborhoods. Moreover, research has found that individuals in underserved areas – where the rates of unemployment, poverty and crime rates are high – are more likely to suffer from worse health outcomes than their counterparts, according to the National Institute of Health. Related Stories Historically, people of color, low-income communities and immigrants have been left out of the planning processes of their communities. The city hoped to make a change through ForwardDallas by learning from and planning with all communities to create a clear vision for the city’s development. Since launching in April 2021, the engagement for ForwardDallas has included in-person and virtual workshops, pop-up events, neighborhood association meetings, email blasts, social media posts, surveys, online mapping and comment platforms and public speaking engagements. The ForwardDallas Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update, referenced as ForwardDallas 2.0, is a citywide visionary plan that aims to establish guidelines for how public and...