About us
SIGN UP AS AN OFFICIAL MEMBER ON OUR WEBSITE <- Since Meetup.com treats every RSVP as a "member", use our official membership form to become an official member. Upon joining, you’ll receive an email with an invite link to join our members-only Discord server. The email will also have a link for you to schedule a New Member 1:1 meeting with one of our Local Conversation leaders to talk about your interests and discuss the best fit for you in this movement.
What is Dallas Urbanists?
We are an advocacy group in Dallas, Texas composed of people who care about making our city a better place to live, work, and play for everybody. Our group aligns with the New Urbanism movement, and we are an instance of what Strong Towns calls a "Local Conversation", whose purpose is to connect nearby, like-minded advocates to put Strong Towns ideas into action where we live.
- Learn more about us on our website
- Subscribe to our emails via Substack
- Join us by submitting our membership form
- Meet us by attending our events
- Contact us by emailing [contact@dallasurbanists.org](mailto:contact@dallasurbanists.org)
- Start a conversation by posting on our subreddit.
- Follow us on social media: Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky
Upcoming events
30
Downtown Hyperlocal Conversation: Why so many vacant storefronts on Main Street?
Pegasus City Brewery, 1508 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX, USHyperlocal Conversations are neighborhood-specific monthly gatherings where neighbors explore ways to improve walkability where they live. Visit our website, dallasurbanists.org/hyperlocal, to learn more about the program, see our full schedule of upcoming conversations, and find or start a conversation in your neighborhood.
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This month's discussion: Why are there so few businesses in the "central business district"?Usefulness is the most important ingredient for walkability; we want most aspects of daily life to be located close at hand and organized in a way that walking serves them well. When empty storefronts are plenty, walking becomes less useful, safe, and interesting.
As we consider why downtown keeps losing businesses big (like AT&T) and small like (Ari's Pantry), it's worth noting this problem isn't unique to Dallas. Most large cities across America are dealing with the same fundamental challenge of commercial activity leaving downtown for the suburbs. And if we can't solve this for downtown Dallas, whose to say it won't happen to Plano or Irving a generation from now?
For this months' conversation, let's fast-forward past the usual suspects that always dominate these discussions. Setting aside questions of street homelessness, office-to-residential conversions, and parking availability for another time, what other factors impact retail viability downtown? How expensive are retail leases compared to what neighborhood-scale services can afford? Do we have enough right-sized units to match commercial needs, or are all available spaces excessively large and inflexible? Do micro-businesses have access to same level of support as large corporations? Are there stepping stones for recurring popup vendors to graduate to a permanent or semi-permanent space on Main Street, or do we have a need for "missing middle" commercial downtown? How does streetscape and roadway design impact foot traffic and discoverability?
Key Question: as residents and stakeholders of downtown, what steps can we take to bring most aspects of daily life into our neighborhood so that they are close at hand and organized in a way that walking serves them well?
Reading Recommendations: to keep discussion flowing and productive, please take time to read some or all of the following articles from Strong Towns.
Specific for downtown discussion:
- What’s With the Vacant Storefronts? 8 Reasons for Empty Commercial Spaces | Strong Towns
- Why Do Commercial Spaces Sit Vacant?
- The Paradox of Persistent Vacancies and High Prices
- What's With That Empty Lot in the Heart of the City?
- The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Improving Downtown Success by Building Experiences
Principles for any neighborhood
5 attendees
Past events
41
