Project projected to reduce temps in Dallas' heat island
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A groundbreaking project is planned for the Southwestern Medical District in Dallas that developers say will improve health and help cool the environment. The medical district is working with the Texas Trees Foundationto add more trees and landscaping to the corridor and build a park in the middle of the 14 acres of land that houses Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Hospital.
David Whitley, DRW Planning Studio project manager, said 28 sensors throughout the corridor are collecting information about temperature, pollutants and other factors that impact climate. He says data gathered will help determine where trees are planted.
"We’re able to model how different design solutions might affect thermal comfort based on all these data points," he explained. "So, we can put in the arrangement of trees that we’re thinking about and see, how will that perform."
The medical district is Dallas’ largest urban heat island. The trees are expected to reduce the temperature in the corridor by at least 15 degrees. An eight acre signature park will be built between the three hospitals.
Lannie McClelen, program director, Southwestern Medical District, said a survey of employees and medical students shows they need a place to unwind from the stress of their jobs, and added that the greenspace is designed to improve their overall mental health.
"We want a place to go out, to escape the walls of the building, to get out in nature and just to 'be,'" she added.
Once the 4,000 trees are planted, the sensors will be reinstalled to determine the project’s efficacy. McClelen said they recently shared the information with planners in Australia and hope the concept will catch on in other areas.
"There’s a lot of research going on in this topic, but there’s not a lot of projects – like real live projects, that are trying to make a difference – happening. And so, that’s where this is so cutting edge," she continued.
Construction on the project is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.
