Election results: See statewide and local races.
Skip to Main ContentSkip to footer
TDMN
Sign In
Subscribe
Advertisement
This is member-exclusive content
icon/ui/info filled
Opinion

LISTEN: How downtown Dallas finally got great parks

On the ‘Deep Side’ podcast, Robert Decherd, the Parks for Downtown Dallas chairman, tells the history of changing downtown.

Editorial Page Editor

Dec. 2, 2021
|
Updated 1:00 a.m. CST
|
1 min. read
The Deep Side of Dallas podcast from The Dallas Morning News is co-hosted by opinion deputy...
The Deep Side of Dallas podcast from The Dallas Morning News is co-hosted by opinion deputy editor Rudy Bush and the University of North Texas System's Paul Corliss.(Jeff Meddaugh/Staff Artist )

Editor’s note: ‘The Deep Side of Dallas’ is hosted by deputy editorials editor Rudy Bush and the University of North Texas System’s Paul Corliss. The show explores the past, present and future of the city of Dallas, including its culture, politics, history and development.

In This Episode

Downtown Dallas was a grayscape of skyscrapers and parking lots for generations. Robert Decherd, chairman of Parks for Downtown Dallas and CEO of DallasNews Corp., has for years led an effort to change that. Downtown today is home to significant neighborhood parks, from Civic Garden to Pacific Plaza. And there is more to come. How did the city, in less than a generation, change the face of its downtown?

Advertisement
Downtown Dallas buildings are seen from Pacific Plaza, a new Dallas park project along...
Downtown Dallas buildings are seen from Pacific Plaza, a new Dallas park project along Harwood and St. Paul Streets, on Oct. 9, 2019. At far left is Pacific Place, a 20-story office tower; and at far right is 1700 Pacific, with 50 floors of office space. (At center are the 1900 Pacific Residences.) One of the most unique elements in Pacific Plaza is The Pavilion, a floating 95-by-138-foot ovoid structure of stainless steel. Morse Code signatures of every stop along the Texas and Pacific Railroad between El Paso and New Orleans punctuate the steel ring. Pacific Plaza, a new Dallas park project along Harwood and St. Paul Streets, will add another green space in downtown, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019. Surrounded by high-rise buildings, Pacific Plaza, Dallas' newest downtown park, was designed by landscape architects SWA Group, with a signature pavilion designed by HKS Laboratory for Intensive Exploration (LINE). The land was acquired in 2008 by the City of Dallas with the support of Trust for Public Land. The design and construction of the Pacific Plaza park itself was spearheaded by Parks for Downtown Dallas in a public/private partnership with the City of Dallas.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
Opinion

Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

Or with:

Google
Facebook

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

How to never miss an episode

Go to your favorite podcast app and search “The Dallas Morning News.” Select the podcast of the same name and hit the “Subscribe” or “Follow” button. (Here are quick links to our feed on popular apps such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and iHeartRadio.) You’ll also get access to our daily news roundup; our weekly sports podcast, SportsDay Insider, co-hosted by columnists Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and David Moore; and our special audio reports.

Advertisement

Or, you can stream individual episodes like this one here on our website.

Find quick links for all of this, plus instructions on how to listen to The Dallas Morning News on your smart speakers and devices at dallasnews.com/listen. You’ll also find a special membership offer there just for listeners.

Advertisement
Rudolph Bush
By Rudolph Bush

Rudy has covered politics, government, crime and all three mixed together for both The Dallas Morning News and The Chicago Tribune.

Advertisement

Most Popular

Advertisement