Fort Worth, Arlington work to maintain identities as growth continues

What will Fort Worth and Arlington look like in 20 years? That was the final question answered by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Arlington Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Raul Gonzalez at the Southeast Fort Worth Inc. luncheon on Sept. 20 at the ACH Child and Family Services Jo & Holt Hickman Center.

"In 20 years from now, if we've been smart, if we really live by our 2050 comprehensive plan, if we utilize master plans around parks and mobility, your neighborhoods would still feel like neighborhoods, right?" said Parker. She noted that great cities can grow and still have their identity intact.

That's key, she said, "because, otherwise, why would you want to live here?"

There will be plenty of changes in the city in two decades, she said.

"Your downtown central business will likely have tripled the number of residents of today's downtown," she said. "You'll have Panther Island, which is now extended to double the size of your central business district, and you'll have phase two of the Stockyards probably bringing 20 million people to your Stockyards every single year."

Parker also said the city will have a transit system that connects multiple different neighborhoods, the workforce and educational institutions in a way that is "indicative of a Top 10 city."

Gonzalez said Arlington is also working on its comprehensive plan. The city is landlocked and focused on how best to redevelop as the metroplex population continues to climb.

"We're just focused on making sure that the community stays viable for families to not only live or work in Arlington, but to raise their families here," he said.

The city leaders from the two largest cities in booming Tarrant County also discussed the need to preserve green space in their hometowns. Parker's Good Natured initiative aims to preserve at least 10,000 acres of green space by 2028.

Parker spoke of growing up in a small town and how important being outside was to her and how important it is for all children. She referenced " The Anxious Generation ," a book that says technology-based and phone-based childhoods are rewiring a generation, creating anxiety and leading to increases in mental illness.

"I still want us to be a place where every single child has access to a beautiful space," she said.

The discussion was moderated by Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership.

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at

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