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Sandra S. Dennehy, AIA
Dennehy Architects, 2003 President, AIA Fort Worth
We have lived in an inner-city neighborhood
for more than 25 years. During that time, we have watched an
adjacent commercial corridor, which was once a thriving,
pedestrian-friendly brick street lined with mom-and-pop stores and
several large department stores, decline into a fast-flowing
vehicular thoroughfare, dotted with closed-up shops and
car-oriented fast-food joints. The cause of the decline was
twofold. At the same time that suburban sprawl was moving upscale
shopping out to the malls, the city decided our beloved street
needed to carry more cars, provide more “trips.” With the
expansion of the street from four lanes with head-in street
parking, to six lanes of through traffic with a seventh, middle,
turn lane, the street changed from being a destination itself to
merely a way to get from one place to another. While the decline
was slow, it was steady and, by the mid-1990s, was complete. And
this decline bled into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Then came the opportunity. A reporter from the local newspaper ran
a story about the decline of the inner city in general, using a
photograph of our street for visual emphasis. What an awakening! A
meeting was hastily called to discuss what could be done, and more
than 300 interested neighbors, business owners, and residents
showed up at the local high school auditorium to discuss possible
solutions. We threw street dances to raise awareness. We met
regularly with the mayor and City Council representatives. We grew
in political strength and became a presence to be reckoned with.
Our efforts are going into their eighth year and, while the number
of people who are regularly involved is not that initial 300, the
support we have gained over the years is much stronger and more
broadly based, including neighborhood associations, business
owners, several churches, our local school district, and the
university that anchors one end of the street.
This grassroots effort has forged a tremendous partnership between
citizens and city officials, one that through the years has made a
difference not only in our street but also in other central-city
streets that have been similarly affected. Through our efforts, we
have been allocated Capital Improvement Program Bond Funds for the
redesign of our street into a viable, pedestrian-friendly,
commercial corridor. We have also raised awareness of the plight of
other such corridors, so much so that the City Council, acting on
recommendations from the Planning Department, has set as a priority
the revitalization of these corridors. The Central City Corridor
Revitalization Program has designated 12 other such inner-city
corridors and, with the update of the city’s Comprehensive
Plan, has incorporated these corridors in designated Urban Village
Growth Centers. These designated growth centers are accompanied by
larger Neighborhood Empowerment Zones that have numerous incentives
for redevelopment. This citywide urban revitalization effort proves
the power of “one”—it all began with one small group
of citizens concerned about the decline of their commercial
corridor!
As architects, we can bring a wealth of expertise to our
communities, enabling similar grassroots efforts to be successful.
The built environment is what we are all about, and who better to
advocate for livable communities than those in the design
profession? You can spend as little or as much time as you are
able, but the main ingredients are concern and passion. If you care
about the communities where you live, the schools your children
attend, the air you breathe, all those quality of life issues, then
getting involved should be second nature. The rewards are great and
as endless as the opportunities, from the relationships that you
build to the more tangible rewards of affecting the built
environment around you. And don’t wait for the opportunity to
materialize; you can make it happen. It just takes the first step,
one that is easier than you think!
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