The city of Dallas is preparing to unveil a comprehensive plan to reform its zoning rules. The plan aims to expand housing options and allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments across the city.
City planners said the Dallas-Fort Worth area is the fastest-growing region in the country and will soon surpass Chicago in population. They said the city of Dallas is not capturing that growth. One goal of the reform is to expand where multi-unit housing and mixed-use developments are allowed. Planners also propose allowing smaller homes on smaller lots to align with a new state law. They said the reform will encourage a wider range of housing, modernize what they called "outdated zoning rules and old approaches," and balance preservation with development.
Dallas City Council members have expressed differing priorities on how zoning updates should take shape, weighing density against neighborhood preservation. Councilman Chad West said the city needs to expand affordable options that appeal to younger residents. "We are in a housing affordability crisis," West said. He said the changes do not mean removing single-family neighborhoods.