Nestled near the banks of the Trinity River is The Bottom District, a historic predominantly African American community that lives under constant threat of flooding. A group of landscape architecture graduate students, under the guidance of Joowon Im, assistant professor in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, is working to solve the problem.
Using a North Central Texas Council of Governments grant and other revenue sources, Dr. Im and her team have created initial designs with comprehensive green infrastructure networks. The plans include building a community plaza and pocket parks, preserving and enhancing existing single-family housing, introducing diverse housing choices, creating gateway features, establishing mixed-use development, creating cultural walkways, installing green streets and bike lanes leading around the neighborhood, and implementing a community garden.
The Golden SEEDS Foundation, a community development corporation that helps economic development in The Bottom, and Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church are also helping.
“We’re focused on being supportive of the community’s needs and desires, so our next step is to take these design plans to the community in a series of workshops that will help solidify implementation,” Im says. “We must protect this historic neighborhood.”
