Dallas Task Force to Find Preservation Solutions

After a high-profile demolition claimed a 129-year-old building in Dallas, preservationists are getting a seat at the table in the form of a newly formed task force.

1 minute read

January 8, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"At year’s end the Dallas City Council was considering a task force to look at stopping, or at least pausing, the razing of historic downtown buildings," according to Robert Wilonsky.

Wilonsky goes on to announce the new members of the task force (as Wilonsky puts it, "who’s going to stand between history and the wrecking ball"), which will be led by Preservation Dallas Executive Director Katherine Seale.

Wilonsky also quotes directly from a statement released by Seale to describe her expectations for the role of the task force: "The task force will start by looking inwardly at where we are now as a city with preservation and development policies, where we have been over time and the major moments in between….From there, the group will look outwardly at how other cities blend development with preservation for mutual benefit and come back to the city with recommendations and best practices."

Wednesday, January 7, 2015 in The Dallas Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive