Brent Brown, Who Rebuilt Congo Street, Will Head Dallas CityDesign Studio in City Hall

Couple of weeks back we debuted the Dallas Urban Design Studio, a Trinity Trust-funded endeavor that’ll get its own office in Dallas City Hall in order to “elevate the design consciousness and culture of
Dallas, while working to balance social, economic, environmental, and design
sustainability towards enhancing livability for all Dallas residents.” Clearly, though, someone wasn’t happy with the acronym “DUDS”: In a press release sent in advance of tomorrow’s formal debut of the project, it’s now referred to as the “Dallas CityDesign Studio.”

Tomorrow at 10 a.m., Mayor Tom Leppert and City Manager Mary Suhm will get folks together in Dallas City Hall’s Flag Room to graciously accept the gift from foundation president Gail Thomas. And we now know the director of the studio — none other than Brent Brown, who, with John Greenan, wants to build behind Dallas City Hall that self-sustaining city block known as Re:Vision Dallas. Brown, of course, is also the brains behind buildingcommunityWORKSHOP, which is behind the Congo Street Initiative in Jubilee Park, in which ramshackle homes near Fair Park were deconstructed and restored. The other members of the DCDS will be introduced tomorrow. As for how the Trinity Trust defines the duties of the studio, here goes per the press release:

Housed in Dallas City Hall, the Studio will work collaboratively to advise, plan and consult with public and private entities on the importance of urban design in a 21st Century Dallas. This resource center at City Hall will engage, advise and support work focused both outside the levees, particularly as potential development occurs, and on the Trinity River Corridor Project.