Oases in the midst of an urban landscape? Yes they do exist! And more are apparently on their way in Fort Worth, Texas. With increasingly higher costs of land, as well as a shortage of it, city planners are getting creative with their efforts to develop places to rest and recharge. Previously, the city’s master plan did not allow small enough areas to be labeled ‘parks’ for development. Enter the ‘urban park’ – a designation that will allow the City of Fort Worth to utilize smaller tracts of land to develop into parks.

Not limited to green spaces, urban parks can be created within a plaza setting. A perfect example of this is Burk Burnett Park http://www.dfwi.org/what-we-offer/special-event-space/124-Burnett-Park. This pleasant locale, surrounded by concrete and city streets, offers bistro-style tables for a noonday lunch in the sunshine, shade trees and play equipment for children, a lawn that is used for everything from yoga classes to concerts, and a gathering point for a community bike riding group.

What does this mean for Fort Worth area property management? The addition of these urban parks means greater appeal to renters looking to settle in a metropolitan environment. A short walk to a little bit of green for some sunshine, stretching, or an outdoor picnic can tip the scales when making a living decision. For all of us, an extra patch of happy is never a bad thing!