The Design Downtown Denton plan takes aim at improving walkability and highlighting the city’s historic assets.
Denton, Texas has released its Design Downtown Denton plan, which outlines the city’s plans for revitalization over the next decade. Penny Kimble describes the plan in the Denton Record-Chronicle.
The city is prioritizing eight areas:
- Art, music and entertainment
- Bike and pedestrian mobility
- Culture
- Housing development
- Parks and public spaces
- Retail and commercial development
- Safety
- Traffic and transit
The plan recommends strategies that include better utilizing the streetscape, improving public spaces, and promoting nightlife and culture. “As a way to incorporate all of these recommendations and potential projects into one cohesive plan, the city does propose establishing a consistent brand downtown to help downtown imagery reflect the city’s identity.”
Proposed projects include adding bike and pedestrian infrastructure to make downtown streets more walkable, planting more trees to reduce heat and provide shade, renovating a historic park, and activating vacant lots of pocket parks.
Denton officials want to build on the city’s history and character, emphasizing “preserving historic resources, like local small businesses and landmarks through grants, tax credits and conservation districts.”
The document recommends the creation of a public improvement district to fund public projects and services.
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