North Texas New Urbanism: A Generation Later

What are the success factors for development projects that stand the test of time? Experienced representatives from the private and public sectors reveal what works and does not. Speakers present challenges and opportunities in today’s mixed-use environments and how to improve future sustainability by meeting today’s market drivers and addressing competition, design flexibility, and reuse options. Speakers will share the critical role of public-private partnerships to ensure future success of these developments, including shared infrastructure, functional design elements, parking plans, flexible regulations, and meaningful public investments.

Begun in the late 1990s, Southlake Town Square is located 5 miles northwest of DFW Airport. Town Square is 125 acres and contains over 1.8 million square feet of mixed use development, including the Town Hall and library, 250-room hotel, movie theater, upscale retail and dining options, condos and brownstones, and a class A office high rise.  Southlake Town Square was designated a Great Public Space in Texas by Texas APA in 2020.

Hometown of North Richland Hills is one of the first New Urban Traditional Neighborhood Developments in North Texas that features neighborhood design characteristics of the early 20th century, including narrower streets, wider sidewalks, and activated streets.  The 650-acre neighborhood features a mix of commercial and institutional uses as well as a mix of housing types and styles.  HomeTown was designated a Great Neighborhood in Texas by Texas APA in 2017.

1. Understand the critical success factors of successful New Urbanist developments, including public investment, financing, design, and location.
2. Achieve and maintain successful mixed-use centers and traditional neighborhood developments  through facilitated involvement of stakeholders and continued private/public partnerships.
3. Direct public investment to what matters the most through strategic planning.
4. Evolve and respond to market demands while planning for long-term economic resiliency.