Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation Releases Equitable Development Plan that Aims to Reduce Disparities and Promote Healthy, Vibrant Neighborhoods in and Around New Bridge Park
The Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation today released its equitable development plan for Southern Gateway Park, the landmark bridge park that will span Interstate 35E between Ewing and Marsalis Avenues, directly adjacent to the Dallas Zoo. The five-acre park is poised to become the heartbeat of Southern Dallas – and a key catalyst for closing the opportunity gap that was created when the highway was originally built in the 1950s through the middle of Oak Cliff.
The Southern Gateway Park equitable development plan (EDP) is the culmination of a year-long research and stakeholder engagement process that harnessed the ideas and priorities of more than 500 area residents, community leaders, local businesses and non-profit organizations to create an inclusive space that is functional, welcoming, responsive, innovative and reflective of the neighborhoods surrounding the park.
In addition to informing the park’s master plan (which was unveiled last month), the EDP will help guide the long-term strategy for the park, including future amenities and high-impact, high-value programs. The EDP also frames the Foundation’s ongoing community engagement strategy, including the creation of a Community Advisory Council representing the diverse perspectives of local stakeholders.
“We’re excited to share the details of our equitable development plan because it represents a deep and ongoing collaboration between our Foundation and everyone who calls Oak Cliff home,” said April Allen, President of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation and long-time Oak Cliff resident. “As a result, Southern Gateway Park will truly belong to the community – not simply because of its geography, but because together we helped create it. It’s in Oak Cliff, by Oak Cliff, for Oak Cliff.”
“The I-35 project created a literal canyon that tore a thriving community in half,” said April Allen, President of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, and proud Oak Cliff resident. “The subsequent lack of capital investment in the south, combined with the absence of adequate city services, has contributed to generational poverty, social isolation, environmental injustice and economic despair for much of the area.”
And yet through it all, according to Allen, the neighborhood retained its vibrant spirit.
“This is a community that celebrates and embraces diversity,” she said. “That’s why Southern Gateway Park is so important. It signifies hope and opportunity and is both a literal and figurative bridge to the future. The park will knit historic Oak Cliff back together and accelerate economic and environmental revitalization.”
The EDP targets six equity focus areas:
History & Culture – Featuring Oak Cliff’s rich community history through park design and ongoing programming and events such as concerts, art exhibits and festivals.
Health & Wellness – Increasing the overall health and wellness of the Oak Cliff community.
Educational Opportunities – Facilitating events that broaden the reach and diversity of existing community education offerings for all ages.
Economic Development – Facilitating economic development and workforce opportunities for local and diverse businesses and residents.
Diverse Housing Options – Featuring positive housing development by convening stakeholders and amplifying equitable housing measures and policies.
Safe & Stable Neighborhoods – Increasing stability through park infrastructure, programming and partnerships to create a safe, accessible environment for the entire family.
“The reality is that equitable development not only has a significant positive impact on our most pressing social challenges, but it also makes good business sense. Data shows that regions that value equity and inclusion outperform those that do not and sustain healthier rates of economic growth.”
Equity and inclusion have been at the heart of Southern Gateway Park from the beginning. The Foundation and community leaders began meeting in 2017 to identify the park’s equity objectives. The Foundation subsequently retained Dallas-based equity and justice firm C-Suite Consulting to lead the EDP process, thanks to a generous grant from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT).
“We like to say that Southern Gateway Park is not simply a park, but that it’s a park with a purpose,” Allen said. “In order for us to fulfill that mission, we knew we needed to start the work of equitable development early on. The reality is that equitable development not only has a significant positive impact on our most pressing social challenges, but it also makes good business sense. Data shows that regions that value equity and inclusion outperform those that do not and sustain healthier rates of economic growth.”
The comprehensive EDP process kicked off in May 2020 and, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, included 200-plus stakeholder surveys and interviews, 12 open community meetings offered in English and Spanish, and a series of smaller strategic planning meetings co-led by community champions and/or experts from one of the equity focus areas (all via Zoom, of course). All of this concluded with a community preview of the final plan earlier this year.
“At CFT, advancing equity in the community is one of our main strategic goals,” said Sarah Cotton Nelson, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Communities Foundation of Texas. “This grant to help the park create an equitable development plan is indicative of our desire to not only help one organization or another, but also to pave the way to better, more equitable development across our community. Our hope is that this will be a catalyst for others to embark upon this crucial step to ensure connectedness and belonging for all citizens and neighbors.”