A two-mile stretch of Harry Hines Boulevard is becoming a model of what a medical district can be, spurring good health, safety, calm and a respite from stress. Texas Trees Foundation has taken on greening the streetscape surrounding the Southwestern Medical District (SWMD).

The therapeutic landscape redesign will transform the primary corridor within the SWMD into a vibrant, connected and safe multi-modal linear parkway with a 10-acre park. Construction may begin as early as fall 2025.

More than 3 million individuals use the district annually, including an employee workforce of approximately 37,000 in the medical complex. The holistic restructuring is a result of being the largest urban heat island within the city of Dallas.

This spring, microclimatic sensors were installed along the Harry Hines corridor that send climatic data such as temperature, humidity, wind, light and more to a communication hub installed on the roof of Parkland every 20 minutes. The data is then used to create simulations and models for the design team.

For more information, visit TexasTrees.org/author/texastrees.