The Bottom Master Plan
In one of Dallas’ most historically significant neighborhoods, a community-centered master plan reimagines connectivity, resilience, and opportunity for generations to come
Project Brief
The Bottom is one of the 23 primary study areas that made up the City of Dallas’ Trinity River Corridor Comprehensive Land Use Plan in 2002. This historic area, adjacent to one of the City’s three former Freedman’s towns, frequently flooded before the construction of the Trinity River Levee system. The site’s 90-acre master plan aims to stabilize the existing residential neighborhood while establishing design parameters to guide future development, ensuring compatibility and sensitivity to the area’s historic and cultural context.
The master plan and its corresponding development guidelines will serve as a framework for the City’s Trinity River Corridor Office as it begins to rezone the property. This initiative is crucial for both the Bottom’s and the Trinity River Project’s role as a new “front yard” for the City. The plan envisions a resilient path forward, integrating community feedback and fostering a sense of community through connectivity to future and existing park amenities, walkable streets, and appropriate residential architectural forms.
The urban structure and guidelines area plan, adopted in April 2015, includes detailed guidance for public area development to encourage private investment and outlines priorities for public realm improvements. The plan subdivides the overall study area into five distinct “Area Visions,” each tailored to the future development characteristics of specific sections of the neighborhood