About the Glen Park Neighborhood
Glen Park is a cozy neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth, punctuated by reasonably priced homes and a close-knit, established community. The neighborhood sits on the edge of the Trinity Metro transit network and contains 36 bus stops; however, only six of these stops have benches, and only four have a shelter or cover.
Transit Stop Furniture and Tactical Urbanism
The Tarrant Transit Alliance, Tarrant County Community College students and faculty, and the local community collaborated to develop a transit seating and shelter furniture design competition for five locations in the Glen Park neighborhood. The locations were carefully selected by the competition planning committee based on a survey of Glen Park residents, bus stop ridership study data, and sidewalk conditions.
The competition revolved around the idea of tactical urbanism—or planning-by-doing—where community members engage in neighborhood building or improvements characterized by immediate action intended to instigate lasting positive change or effect.
The Winning Design and Long-Term Effects
After careful consideration of all detailed designs, the Jury selected Dahlia Garcia and Jose Rodriguez (Tarrant County College and University of Texas at Arlington) as the winners. This team’s design will be fabricated and installed in the Glen Park neighborhood in spring of 2021.
Kimley-Horn and all other participants and supporters realize this competition in tactical urbanism will provide much more than seating for bus stops. Offering comfortable locations for riders to wait can encourage ridership and promote bus transit as a mode of transportation to work, school, or recreational activities. This furniture design competition and the Glen Park neighborhood bus stop improvements—initiated and executed by a community invested in the future—will encourage economic growth and improve quality of life for residents by delivering a more enjoyable rider experience.
