Dallas Park and Recreation, together with Project Safe Neighborhood and the Better Block Foundation, will open a temporary “pop-up” park in the Forest-Audelia neighborhood. The park provides area residents with shaded grass spaces, a stage decorated with murals that can host bands or serve as an outdoor classroom, free wireless internet, and a children’s play area.
The park is located at the northwest corner of Forest Lane and Audelia Road and will operate from October 16 to November 14.
The goal of the temporary park is to provide residents with an example of how a park could work in the area to allow for public comment before a more extensive, permanent park is built. The City of Dallas Park Department owns the land where the park is to be located. Currently, the Forest-Audelia Village Shopping Mall parking lot occupies the space.
“Dallas is a city of possibilities and opportunities,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in a press release announcing the pop-up park. “The pop-up park at Forest-Audelia embodies that unique spirit. I am grateful to the Better Block Foundation and to our Park and Recreation Department for taking on this community-centric, public safety-focused, and equity-oriented initiative.”
Johnson continued, “We must bring more parks and public spaces to our neighborhoods, and I look forward to working closely with our Park Board President Arun Agarwal and our private partners to achieve that goal. Together, we can build a safer and more family-friendly Dallas.”
The area around where the park will be located has a high population of apartment complexes that have experienced a disproportionate level of violent and property crime in recent years. The area has even been called a “hornet’s nest” by former Police Chief David Brown.
According to data from NeighborhoodScout.com, nearly 95% of residential properties in the Forest-Audelia neighborhood are rentals, putting this as one of the highest non-owner-occupied neighborhoods in the U.S.
Further, the region is also known for a much higher-than-average concentration of single mothers, with 88% of the population living below the U.S. poverty level. Researchers view these factors as being heavy contributors to violent crimes and property crimes. Developers hope that the pop-up park will provide a safe place where children can play without fear of violence.
Dallas Councilmember Adam McGough of District 10 said, “The persistence and resilience of so many made possible the launch of this temporary-park installation. This important step marks another key milestone on the journey toward making Forest-Audelia a safer, more vibrant place at which neighbors and families may live, work and gather. I’m thankful for the work of the Better Block Foundation and so many other community partners who are bringing to life the vision for a better future at this site. I’m eager to witness community members enjoying this temporary space and to listen to neighbors’ feedback to ensure the new, permanent space to come proves a longstanding community asset.”
Currently, the Park and Recreation department has 30-days’ worth of events hosted by local nonprofit organizations and small businesses in the neighborhood. The park will feature play areas for children, a grass area, and a basketball court in addition to the stage and shaded areas.
