Dallas' Forgotten Half
The southern sector is not an insoluble problem
Charles O'Neal tells a story that says a lot about why economic progress
has come so slowly in southern Dallas.
A map, he says, used to hang on the wall of the Greater Dallas Chamber
of Commerce. City leaders pointed to it as they discussed economic
development opportunities.
One big, ugly problem existed with that map, says Mr. O'Neal, who today
is an executive with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. The map's
southern boundary was Interstate 30, as though most of the southern
sector did not exist or was unsuited to economic development.
Out of sight, out of mind. And to this day, all of Dallas, not just the
southern sector, is paying the hefty price of willful omission.
Today, here's what that missing half looks like, and what Dallas must do
to allow southern Dallas to prosper:
Assets
Vacant land suitable for development: 46 square miles (the
northern sector has only eight)
Population: Nearly 500,000 (more than Cleveland or Atlanta)
New business parks: Pinnacle Park, Mountain Creek and others,
with new infrastructure and 90 percent tax abatements
DART rail:
Two existing lines to southwest Dallas; a southeastern line scheduled to
open around 2009
Nature: The Trinity River and forest can be major amenities, and
bond money is set aside to develop their potential.
Committed developers: A core of effective nonprofits and the
for-profit KB Home are adding hundreds of new homes.
University of North Texas: A new campus is planned for far
southern Dallas.
Deficiencies
Crime: Rates for most categories of violent crime are at least 50
percent higher than in the northern sector, scaring away new residents
and businesses.
Poverty: The poverty rate is twice that in northern Dallas.
Noxious neighbors: The area is pocked with landfills, heavy
industries, public housing projects and vacant, derelict properties.
Poor housing stock: The median home price is $58,000, compared to
$150,000 in the northern sector.
Lack of jobs: Four of every 10 southern sector residents who work
must find jobs outside the city.
No business: Of every $1 of taxable business that occurs in the
city, only 14 cents is in the southern sector.
Mediocre schools: Although improving, DISD still underperforms
most suburban districts, and the area has few private schools.
A bad reputation: Many northern Dallasites, including business
and political leaders, have written off the southern sector as an
insoluble problem.
What must happen
Face reality. The southern sector has big problems, and solving
them is the only way to save Dallas from an overall decline.
Strategize. The city must forge a detailed strategic plan
designed to produce measurable, substantive results in areas targeted as
ripe for change.
Invest. The city and the private sector must put enough money
behind the strategy to make it work – a break from the past.
Nurture neighborhoods. People care about the place they live;
they will work hard to improve it if they believe the city cares, too.
Embrace private partners. Although it's improving, the city can
be quicker and more flexible in facilitating private development.
Embrace the city. At the same time, sources of private capital –
both businesses and philanthropy – must recommit to Dallas.
Spread the power. The most successful neighborhood revivals were
accomplished by residents who were given authority over how money was
spent.
Sow the seeds of trust. It's not enough to acknowledge past
inequities; the actions outlined here are the foundation for lasting
unity and prosperity.
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