Sunday kicks off a remarkable conference in Washington focused in large part on showing cities, developers and transit agencies how to make real their dreams of using transit to anchor major development around rail stations.
It’s the kind of gathering that, had i been more organized, I’d have liked to attend. I mention it here because I am hoping it might kick-start a bit of talk on the blog about area cities’ hopes that DART, as it winds up its major construction over the next couple year, can now be used as a catalyst for re-imagining how North Texas lives, commute and experience their city.
Sound grandiose. Maybe, but here’s the idea: With scores of stations in place, city planners from Irving to Dallas to Carrollton are hoping that the rail stations will be such a draw that developers will pump millions into new housing, new retail, commercial and entertainment projects. More than that, though, is the hope that these new developments will draw enough people into a new way of living that together they will finally have the kind of impact on the feel — not to mention traffic and air quality — of life in North Texas.
The conference is called It’s called RailVolution, and the city of Dallas’ planning chief will be one of several speakers with area ties adding to the collective wisdom.