We’re №1
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Dallas officially has the best park system of any major city in Texas.
On Wednesday, Trust for Public Land released its annual ParkScore Index, in which city park systems across the United States are ranked based on total acreage, access to residents, and financial investment. This year, Dallas passed Austin to become the highest-ranked of any major Texas city. Dallas advanced five places following a 10-spot jump last year and now ranks 38th nationally.
Dallas parks are also more accessible than ever before. The annual ParkScore report found that 74% of Dallas residents now live within a 10-minute walk of a park, marking a 14% increase over the past five years.
Parks, trails, and green spaces are indispensable gathering places that improve the health and quality of life of local communities. Maintaining Dallas’ vibrant park system and elevating it to new heights are central to this Administration’s vision for this city.
This is why, in April 2023, I appointed Dallas’ first Greening Czar, Garrett Boone, to transform vacant city-owned land into new parks and ensure every Dallas resident lives within a 10-minute walk of a park or trail.
Over the past year, Garrett has worked closely with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Trust for Public Land to make parks and green spaces more accessible to thousands of Dallas residents.
The success of this partnership is undeniable as Dallas becomes even greener and greater.
Dallas believes in parks. You — the people of this city — recently approved a historic $345 million investment in parks through the bond election, which will be leveraged to secure additional park investments and continue the unprecedented growth of parks in this city.
Dallas is unmistakably in a golden era of parks — and more parks are on the way thanks to the community’s overwhelming support!
Ending Veteran Homelessness
Dallas recently received news affirming that the city’s efforts to help veterans experiencing homelessness are working.
Two weeks ago, I received a letter from the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Jeff Olivet, informing Dallas that the city has reached a remarkable achievement: Dallas has effectively ended homelessness among veterans.
To be clear, this does not mean that no veteran in Dallas will ever experience homelessness again. However, it does mean that Dallas has the systems in place — as well as the coordination across its various government entities and nonprofit organizations — to ensure that any veteran who does fall into homelessness can be paired with a permanent home within 90 days.
Dallas has long prioritized taking a data-driven, evidence-based approach to ending homelessness — especially veteran homelessness. In 2019, Dallas formalized its commitment by launching the “Veterans Housing Challenge to End Homelessness.”
No individual who has given so much in service to this nation should ever have to endure homelessness. Thanks to the work of this city and its partners in the public and private sectors, Dallas can now support its veteran community more than ever before.
Always Bet on Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars have been seemingly unstoppable in recent weeks and are currently playing in the Western Conference Finals of their respective leagues. Last week, to make things even more interesting, I made friendly wagers with both mayors of the cities whose teams Dallas is facing.
With the Mavericks playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, I challenged Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to the following wager: if the Timberwolves beat the Mavericks, Mayor Frey will win local Dallas sweets from the Oak Cliff chocolate shop Dude, Sweet Chocolate.
However, when the Mavericks beat the Timberwolves, Mayor Frey will send his favorite dessert from the North Minneapolis sweet shop Dancing Bear Chocolate.
Then, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi proposed a friendly wager on the NHL’s Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers. Per Mayor Sohi’s challenge, each mayor will record a video for the other team wishing them luck in the Stanley Cup Finals while sporting their jersey.
Throughout the week, both the Mavericks and the Stars have played phenomenally and continue to make Dallas proud. Dallas is a city of winners, and it’s always wise to place your bets on Dallas.
Lastly, today is Memorial Day. On this day, we remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Their courage and commitment will always be remembered.
That’s all for today. Take care of yourselves and take a moment to honor the fallen.
