Following the great 1908 flood, citizens finally had enough of the Trinity River's chronic flooding and sought to "control" the river with a new channel and levees, constructed in the 1930s.

Although new viaducts were also built to bridge the Dallas Floodway, the bermed expanse now created a psychological barrier between Dallas' two halves.

In the 1950s, when the D/FW Turnpike (now I-30) opened, Dallas once again managed to carve off a part of itself, dividing West Dallas from Oak Cliff with a "river" of concrete.

West Dallas became a pocket of civic neglect that suffered from decades of inattention, environmental mishaps and citizens struggling to maintain diverse neighborhoods.

That was then.

Today, with the onset of new urban living trends and a global desire to minimize our carbon footprint ... eyes are suddenly turning to West Dallas because of its proximity to major employment centers and abundance of undeveloped land.

Five miles of Trinity River Corridor Project "shoreline" also has citizens and developers rethinking how we'll live and interact with this massive recreational greenspace. Plus, alternative transportation planners see hike and bike trails, trolley lines, light rail and commuter rail in West Dallas' future.

No longer a place for Dallas to bypass, the community's vision for itself is now to become a pedestrian-friendly destination.

At the same time, businesses value West Dallas' traditional transportation connectivity. Our area has easy access to I-35, immediate access to I-30 and Loop 12, and — soon, over the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and via Woodall Rodgers — Highway 75.

Plus, the Union Pacific rail line through West Dallas is a transport workhorse for America. Along with distribution centers in the west end of West Dallas, our corner of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex provides ample and convenient access for our nation's manufacturing and shipping companies.