Design Downtown Denton Wins Gold Award from the APA's Texas Chapter

The American Planning Association's Texas Chapter has selected Design Downtown Denton for a 2025 Gold Award.

The City of Denton is experiencing steady growth, with its population increasing by over 26% between 2010 and 2020 to nearly 140,000 residents. This growth has led to noticeable pressure on the downtown area's transportation infrastructure, which was not designed to handle current traffic volumes or modern mobility needs. Congestion, limited parking, and insufficient pedestrian and transit options are gradually affecting accessibility and the overall downtown experience. The city's last comprehensive downtown planning effort – the Downtown Master Plan – was adopted in 2002, with a subsequent Downtown Implementation Plan (DTIP) in 2010. These plans have guided development for over a decade, but they no longer fully address the contemporary challenges posed by Denton's growth, felt perhaps most in the downtown area.

As a subconsultant to Mend Collaborative, Nelson\Nygaard was the mobility consultant on a broader team with expertise on historic preservation, economic development, and urban design. The Nelson\Nygaard team identified gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian mobility network and analyzed traffic congestion on key downtown corridors to understand opportunities for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The team also looked at overall integration with the city’s transit network, both within the city and connected to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond.

The updated Downtown Master Plan outlines a community-driven vision to make downtown more walkable, vibrant, and inclusive—connecting assets downtown and making it easier for people to move around without relying on their car.