06.24.2024

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🏢 As the city grows ...

Inside Fort Worth’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan

As Fort Worth grows, the city’s priorities inevitably shift. | Photo courtesy of Kate Branning

Fort Worth has grown consistently for two decades. From 2020 to 2023 , we added 54,866 residents, bringing the total to over 988,000 — making Cowtown the 12th-largest city in America.

Amid its growth phase, Fort Worth launched a 2050 Comprehensive Plan in mid-2023. The plan, which heavily involves feedback from residents, is used as a guide to identify budget priorities, establish development standards, and help create functional long-term plans for historic preservation, public art, and parks — like the Gateway Park master plan.

There are five community engagement phases that the 2050 plan will go through over the next few years. Phase 1, now completed, was a series of conversations with residents in eight different neighborhoods. Phase 2, the current phase, aims to collect more feedback and ideas from residents, both in-person and online. The remaining phases, which include the community working with policy makers and draft reviews, are expected to occur over 18 months.

An influential event of Phase 2 was held last week. Entitled the Vision Summit, it brought together 150+ Fort Worthians — and one enterprising FTWtoday City Editor — to discuss four major issues:

Fort Worth’s current identity
Quality of life
Economic growth
Mobility and transportation

Organized by the city’s FWLab, the format allowed for several residents to present their ideas to the entire room after a discussion at their table.

The answers were also inputted into the city’s online survey, which will remain active through Sunday, June 30.

2050-comprehensive-plan-fort-worth-1 — In Phase 1 of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan, the city held eight workshops asking residents of different communities what they should prioritize, with transportation emerging as the main focus.
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Photo by FTWtoday

While transportation emerged as the biggest issue in Phase 1 neighborhood workshops with a desire for better walkability + more bike lanes, the overarching atmosphere of the Vision Summit pertained to the potential identity shift that comes from growth.

“Growth is good, but brings worry and concern. Fort Worth needs to stay Fort Worth,” said Mayor Mattie Parker at the opening of the Vision Summit.

Residents expressed similar concerns at the discussion tables.

“Fort Worth is still a small town despite being a big city,” said A.J. Jameson, a federal government employee who lives downtown. “At events, you still always see people you know. We don’t want that to change.”

Asked

Where could the city focus?

What do you think about Fort Worth’s current rate of growth, and where do you think the city should focus its energy in coming years?

Share your thoughts

Events

Monday, June 24

National Catfish Day | Monday, June 24 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | The Cajun Market at Bourbon Street Bar & Grill, 1833 Airport Fwy., Bedford | Cost of purchase | For National Catfish Day, the restaurant will serve three of its catfish favorites at $9.99 each.
Book Babies | Monday, June 24 | 10:30 a.m. | Benbrook Public Library, 1065 Mercedes St., Benbrook | Free | Connect with your baby by singing songs, learning finger-plays, and listening to stories at this fun program that promotes early literacy.

Tuesday, June 25

Canine Aggression and Bite Prevention | Tuesday, June 25 | 1-2 p.m. | Humane Society of North Texas, 1840 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth | $20 | If you have a shelter dog who plays a little bit rough with others, this is a chance to review types of aggression and approaches.
Fried Chicken & Bubbles | Tuesday, June 25 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Central Market Fort Worth, 4651 W. Fwy., Fort Worth | $90 | Embrace the power of unexpected pairings as you make fried chicken paired with glasses of bubbly.

Wednesday, June 26

Designing My Future | Wednesday, June 26 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | 200 N. Cooper St., Arlington | $175 | This three-day program offers high school students an immersive experience in architecture, design, and engineering.
“The Long, Hot Summer” | Wednesday, June 26 | 2 p.m. | The Modern, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth | $0-$5 | Paul Newman, ostensibly one of the most beautiful people who ever lived (and a fine actor), stars in this 1958 classic.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Active

Wellness

3 bike trails to try in and around Fort Worth

Presented by a FTWtoday Partner

a gif featuring images of trails located in the walsh neighborhood

Are you ready to have a *wheelie* fun time this summer, Fort Worth? | Photos courtesy of Walsh; GIF by FTWtoday

From leisurely rides to challenging trails for serious bikers, we’re sharing some of the best trails to try this summer, including:

The Trinity Trails
Encompassing 100 miles of trails throughout Fort Worth, this trail system offers cyclists of all levels a chance to enjoy what our city has to offer from a bike. We recommend starting at the Airfield Falls Trailhead or the Panther Island Pavillion Trailhead. Pro tip: Use this interactive map to plan your next ride.

Marine Creek Lake
Conveniently located less than 15 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, this small lake offers cyclists more than six miles of paved trails to explore.

Walsh
This active neighborhood boasts 24+ miles of interconnected trails across five parts, offering its residents plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature. A two-mile “multi-use” trail that meanders through hardwood trees while traversing a creek bed recently opened in the new neighborhood, Brook Hollow.

Explore more of Walsh's other amenities

News Notes

Biz

Fort Worth’s Omnicell ranked among U.S. News and World Report’s top places to work in America, scoring well in both “Top Quality of Pay” and “Best Companies in the South.” (WFAA)

Real Estate

On Wednesday, July 10, the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors and the Arlington Board of Realtors will conduct separate votes on whether to merge. A merger of the nonprofits would create an association of 7,000+ realtors and 40 employees responsible for access to property listings and training of new realtors. (Fort Worth Report)

Family

100+ new child care seats should open in Arlington next summer. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court transferred $4.7 million of American Rescue Plan funding toward a new Child Care Associates center at 696 N. Fielder Rd. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Watch

The final season of Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” will debut on Sunday, Nov. 10 on Paramount Network. Much of the final season was filmed in and around Fort Worth; stay tuned for details on a Cowtown premiere event.

Development

In order to expand the Moncrief Cancer Institute by 65,000 sqft, the medical center needs to close a full block of South Jennings Avenue. The Urban Design Commission voted 7-0 in favor of the closure. Next, the proposal will go to the City Plan Commission and then City Council. (Fort Worth Report)

Fort Worthian

A Fort Worth barista is now the first-ever North American Barista Championship. Darcy Todd, who works at the Starbucks near Eastchase Parkway and I-30, won. Her beverage creation? An Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte with coconut milk and vanilla sweet cream cold foam, with a splash of peach juice. (CBS News)

Plan Ahead

Voodoo Brewing, a Colorado outfit with craft beer and food including the voo-dill pickle pizza, was supposed to soft open over the weekend — but the company pushed back its opening until mid-July.

Quoted

“We are very focused on green space,” Carl Anderson, president of Larkspur Capital, said about the $850 million project in the former Fort Worth ISD headquarters. In addition to a large lawn, the mixed-used urban village will have a green belt. (Fort Worth Report)

Sports

The Cowboys season starts in 76 days. As anticipation builds, ask yourself: Who could make their first All-Pro designation this year? There are three big possibilities. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Dallas Cowboys with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Outdoors

From fishing rods to lures + knives, Marksmen offers a wide selection of fishing gear. Their reely knowledgable staff can help you choose the best products for your next fishing trip. Trust us, consulting the experts at Marksmen is a fin-tastic idea. Swing by Marksmen before you head to Benbrook Lake.*

Kids

🦎 That’s cold-blooded

That’s cold-blooded: Fort Worth Zoo reopens Mountains and Desert

The 7,200 sqft facility houses more than 30 ectotherm (cold-blooded) species in specialized, state-of-the-art habitats designed for each animal. | Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo

Last week, the Fort Worth Zoo reopened the Mountains and Desert exhibit —crawling, slithering, and hopping with reptiles and amphibians.

Cold-blooded species — known as ectotherms — are often “indicator species,” meaning if their population declines, it indicates an ecosystem imbalance. The walls of the new facility have floor-to-ceiling infographics and short videos about ways for visitors to participate in conservation.

In addition to the animals, half of Mountains and Desert is now Texas Nature Traders. In this is a one-of-a-kind program for ages 3+, kids find fossils, rocks, plants, and other goodies around the zoo, then bring them here to learn more. Junior explores can trade their finds or redeem them for other objects.

The fully air-conditioned building is open daily one hour after the zoo opens until one hour before closing.

The Buy

The Buy 6.24.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Colorful margarita glasses that are shatterproof — aka, perfect for outdoor pool parties.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ted

I actually moved here from New York City, which — while admittedly losing people since the COVID-19 pandemic overall — is still a lot bigger than Fort Worth and Tarrant County, so I say “Bring on the growth.”

However, I understand concerns about city identity. One of the best parts of living here is showing up at random events and just seeming to know 5-10 people there. I’ve never seen that in any other city I’ve called home. It’s probably a big reason I’ve stayed, and I definitely wouldn’t want The Fort to lose that charming aspect.

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