Fort Worth officials, developers explore ideas to balance open space and rapid growth

In 2022, Fort Worth officials approved a 137-page strategy report outlining how the city could execute its vision to preserve more open space amid rapid population growth and sprawl. 

Among its many recommendations, the report detailed the possibility of offering incentives to companies willing to preserve portions of land within their developments. Fort Worth could also consider purchasing plots of land that can be broken up into smaller parcels, allowing for some acreage to be sold to developers under the condition it is developed in a sustainable manner.

More than two years later, Fort Worth officials have done a tremendous amount of work to ensure the city is focused on implementing the strategies recommended by the Trust for Public Land, Mayor Mattie Parker told the Report. 

The city’s management of 300 parks and 13,000 acres of open space attests to Fort Worth’s ability to bring Trust for Public Land’s recommendations to life. On the other hand, incentivizing businesses and developers to help out is still a work in progress, said Parker, who launched her Good Natured open space initiative in 2023. The city’s official conservation program began in late 2019 and made its first land purchase in 2020. 

The city’s budget and planning department, known as FWLab, and the mayor have been in close conversation with developers and landowners to ensure they’re aware of the possibilities to grow while helping the city conserve land. 

An economic development incentive was created nearly two years ago, according to Parker. The policy includes an open space tax incentive, according to the economic development department’s communication coordinator Andrea Duffie, but has yet to be utilized by businesses. 

That could be because the policy as a whole is intended for developers who aim to use several acres of land, said Duffie. The department’s incentive allows the city to acquire or secure an amount of acreage equal to a developer’s building footprint of project facilities, according to the policy.

Parker says her conversations about land conservation with real estate partners have been effective.

“Now, they’re understanding the importance of what this could mean,” said Parker. 

Having Allison Docker, the city’s newly named green space champion, is a great help when it comes to thinking about the different aspects of Fort Worth that go into the open space conservation program, added Parker. 

“What I’m hoping to bring to the table is thinking, throughout the whole city, the role that green space can play as a system,” said Docker. 

Residents can expect to see more real estate leaders become involved with Fort Worth’s open space goals, Parker said. 

“Whether it’s an incentive that someone needs or just additional tools in the development toolbox to do that, I think that’s where you’re going to see a lot of different people come to the table,” said Parker. 

This will also hold true for developers as Fort Worth officials shape the 2050 comprehensive plan, which hasn’t seen a major update since 2000. Part of the comprehensive plan will include a riparian conservation incentive program to protect Fort Worth’s most vulnerable waterways and supplement the economic development incentive policy, according to Parker.

Mayor points to victories on open space, with more to come

Parker launched Good Natured last year with the goal of preserving and acquiring 10,000 acres of open space by 2028. Since its inception, the program has helped Fort Worth acquire 1,000 acres, according to Parker. 

Developers also play a role in this initiative, the mayor said. The city is working with private entities to ensure the acreage they’re conserving is part of Good Natured’s effort and elevates the local environment.

One of those private entities,Texas Christian University, is expected to release more details of their long-term plans for conservation as the university grows. 

“There’s a huge focus on parks and trails, open space and connectivity to the rest of the city of Fort Worth” in TCU’s master planning, said Parker. “In my conversations with TCU leadership, that is a direct complement of what Good Natured is about.”

Fort Worth officials involved in Good Natured and the open space program will pursue a large private-public partnership moving forward as the city considers how to conserve land in already-developed regions. 

“In the urban sector of Fort Worth, it’s less acreage, but has incredible impact right now working with downtown,” said Parker. 

The Heritage and Paddock Parks Project also showcases Good Natured’s efforts, added Parker. Out of many renovations, the city aims to provide more park space, walkways and accessibility to the environmental asset that is the Trinity River. 

“That’s a great example of a historic park, but (it) really needed to be redeveloped, and that’s what we’re working on today,” said Parker. 

Bowie Holland and Travis Clegg, both Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth board members, suggest the city focus more on infill development or redevelop existing inner city sites rather than expand into greenfield locations in the city’s outskirts. 

“By prioritizing infill development, the city could direct more capital into revitalizing its urban core, helping to enhance the existing open space network,” Holland and Clegg said in a statement.

Docker also believes the city should do more to increase green and open space among its existing infrastructure. 

“The city’s largest public spaces are streets. … What if we position streets as ways to connect people to nature and green spaces?” said Docker. “Green space is not just parks and gardens and not just preserved open spaces and trails.” 

Developers explain approach to open space

The way in which developers approach open space efforts largely depends on the business and what kind of open space is at play, said Holland and Clegg. 

They believe what all businesses can agree on is that even the slightest development can benefit open spaces.

Housing developers carefully consider several factors such as topography, flood plains and walkability when planning open spaces, according to Holland and Clegg. In turn, this can benefit both open spaces and developers alike, as planning around riparian corridors reduces the possibility of flooding and development in natural corridors. 

As for smaller-scale urban infill projects, developers work closely with the city’s Urban Forestry Management department, which serves to protect Fort Worth’s trees while development is underway. After adopting its first urban forestry master plan earlier this year, the city is currently exploring revisions to its urban forestry ordinance, according to Holland and Clegg. The revisions would include incentives designed to encourage developers to set aside more open space in their development.

Developers are confident that they can maintain open space while also complementing these areas with a light touch of development, the pair said. 

“Ultimately, these developers recognize the value of highly amenitized open spaces — both public and private — not only for the benefit of residents but also as a feature that enhances the overall appeal and success of the development,” said Holland and Clegg. 

Fort Worth has more open space than it is often credited with, Holland and Clegg said. However, in the nonprofit Trust for Public Land’s park score report — ranking cities based on their parks and walkability — Fort Worth has consistently scored low on amenities, equity and investment, ranking 91st out of the country’s 100 largest cities in 2024. The city is currently developing a master plan for the city’s parks system. 

That score does not account for Fort Worth ISD’s open space areas and privately owned but publicly accessible property, Holland and Clegg said. 

“This can create the false impression that Fort Worth lacks quality or quantity in open spaces, which is far from true,” said Holland and Clegg. “Fort Worth boasts a remarkable variety and abundance of open spaces.”

What Fort Worth residents should keep in mind, they said, is that when it comes to balancing land conservation and development, open space initially starts as privately owned land. More than 95% of land in Texas is privately owned — higher than most other states across the country. 

“Maintaining ownership of vacant land can be costly, as it often generates no income but incurs expenses, including taxes. Many property owners work hard to preserve their land, hoping to eventually develop it and achieve a return on investment,” said Holland and Clegg. “It would be misguided to view these vacant tracts as permanent open space or discourage owners from developing their land.”

In fact, attracting business and developers into the city is crucial given Fort Worth’s relatively low commercial tax base compared to similarly sized cities, they said. Business growth would increase tax revenue, which could go toward sourcing the city’s public open space. 

“This collaborative strategy could create economies of scale, enabling the acquisition of larger tracts of land to establish even larger open spaces,” said Holland and Clegg. 

However, Docker says the city intends on acquiring open spaces that are preserved with light amenities such as trails and nature observation. 

Fort Worth officials are currently updating the 2022 economic development program, which will include more revisions to reflect the city’s open space contribution incentive, according to Parker. The strategic plan will go to the City Council next year for final approval of a formal incentive policy.

Nicole Lopez is the environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at [email protected]. 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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