Growth is good, but let’s take advantage of chances to preserve Texas’ open spaces

Growth is good.

The problems associated with it, especially the type of sustained boom Fort Worth has seen for years now, get a lot of attention. And they should.

But it’s important to affirm what growth can accomplish. It makes possible better schools, broader prosperity and better lives.

The Fort Worth area needs more houses, a lot of them. And not just for people moving to town. Expanding housing stock relieves prices across the board, taking pressure off rentals, too.

We get just one chance, though, to preserve open land. Once it’s paved over, it’s hard to get it back. Even city dwellers benefit from protected plains, which help reduce temperatures and contain floods.

Our latest housing boom needs balance. It’s inevitable that more large ranches on Fort Worth’s fringes will be sold to become developments, so policymakers need to think now about ways to protect some of that land and encourage smart, carefully planned development.

It starts at the state level and includes counties and cities across the area. Perhaps the biggest challenge falls to cities and counties that haven’t had to fully grapple with this kind of growth. As Fort Worth and its suburbs sprawl farther into Wise, Parker and Hood counties, they’ll face new challenges.

Preparing for growth entails more than preservation. Far-out exurbs must anticipate new population and be prepared to construct enough schools and roads before the crowds arrive. Congestion on side streets in the newest areas of north Fort Worth is an example of the frustration that can quickly build if it isn’t done right. Northwest ISD has been working to stay ahead of its booming enrollment for years, similar to how Frisco ISD in Collin County planned as it grew.

Fort Worth must encourage new development within the city. Sprawl has its costs, and encouraging more home construction inside Loop 820 would mitigate at least some of them.

The challenges there include gentrification that can displace established residents and businesses, often minority communities. And attracting families to live in more of the city can happen only if there’s more confidence in the schools, an overriding factor for many families willing to trade long commutes for a better education for their children.

With the real estate market booming, this is an important time for land preservation. The city of Fort Worth is working to acquire green space so it can be maintained, such as the recent purchase of Broadcast Hill. There are similar state initiatives, such as the acquisition of a large Gulf Coast ranch to become a state park.

There are strong incentives for ranching families to sell. Developers are eager to fill market demands, and it’s a given that more North Texas land will be converted. Agencies and nonprofit organizations that hope to preserve some of it will have to offer strong incentives.

Texas has ample land for all of its needs. We can preserve plenty of prairie and protect wildlife while still expanding available housing.

Fort Worth and other cities have gotten better about driving density in recent years, reducing the traffic and costs associated with sprawl. But many homeowners will always be willing to accept a long commute in exchange for a quieter area, better schools or, ironically enough, the opportunity to acquire more land.

Managing the growth associated with that and finding a balance to preserve nature must be a priority.

This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 6:00 AM.