Transforming the Southwestern Medical District for Health and Nature
Tree Assessment Findings
Recently, our team collected data to assess the overall tree health in the Medical District, along with exact locations and trees species. Collecting data on the existing and proposed green infrastructure of the current Medical District is vital in our work on the SWMD.
 
Tree data was collected in the right-of-way and the median of the Southwestern Medical District. The District maintains a healthy collection of native Oak trees and Crape Myrtles. Crape Myrtles provide an astounding number of benefits like storing 5,394 pounds of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, absorbing an estimated 316 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

The tree design projected along Harry Hines Boulevard will help mitigate urban heat island effect and work toward the City of Dallas climate action plan of increasing the tree canopy to 37% by 2040. The right-of-way currently has 7% tree canopy. 

Currently, the City of Dallas’ estimated 14.7 million trees produce $239 million in quantifiable environmental benefits annually. This is alongside the aesthetic, social, and spiritual benefits that go beyond monetary value. Studies have also shown that tree-lined streets provide other benefits including improving air quality and stormwater mitigation, as well as reducing noise and calm traffic.

The team will be strategic in its design with efforts to save as many existing trees as possible. Planting and maintaining a diversity of tree species is key to maximizing the benefits trees provide and contributes to creating resiliency in Dallas’s urban forest. The SWMD project represents a part of the city’s commitment to the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), a strategic plan informed by the State of the Dallas Urban Forest assessments performed by the Texas Trees Foundation in 2015, and again in 2019, driven by goals outlined in 2020 for Dallas’ Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan and its commitment to the World Economic Forum’s One Trillion Trees initiative; the UFMP builds on decades of high quality local and national urban forest research. View the full report on the Urban Forest Master Plan below.
Placemaking, Engagement, and the Community Vision Statement 
Placemaking is a widely used term in development these days, the definition though broad, has been attempted by several urban planning groups and organizations. According to the Project for Public Spaces, placemaking is about developing places that are engaging and memorable, where it becomes a collective action that increases the value of a space, by incorporating physical, cultural, and social identities.

To learn more about Placemaking and how it applies to our project, click here. 
Say Hello to Marinda
Marinda Griffin has joined our team as the newest Urban Design Associate for the Southwestern Medical District project. As a geographer and native Texan, she will be working with our team on various aspects of the SWMD project including urban design and landscaping.

Marinda brings with her a blended background working in aspects of urban development, including aquatic habitat restoration, commercial and mixed-use real estate, and redevelopment projects. Successful at qualitative and quantitative research, she has experience in economic impact analysis, storytelling, data visualization, and map-making.

Marinda attended the University of North Texas, where she completed her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geography. She also worked as a research associate for the Center for Economic Development and Research where she supervised a graduate research team and multiple economic impact studies for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Most notably, Marinda won the Terry Jordan Award for Cultural Geography for her thesis research.

We are excited to welcome Marinda to our team as she offers her expertise in geography, design, and urban development. View Marinda's full bio here.
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