Reviving Downtown Dallas | Working Title Ep. 70

About this episode

Jennifer Scripps discusses the revitalization of downtown Dallas and the necessary changes for a thriving urban environment.

Why are people moving back downtown Dallas and what still needs to change in the Big D? Jennifer Scripps, CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc joins the Working Title show to unpack the projects, the politics, and the practical fixes driving Dallas’s downtown comeback. From public improvement districts and safety teams to new parks, college campuses, and convention-center plans, Jennifer walks us through what’s changed in Dallas, what’s working, and what still needs to happen to make downtown a seven-day, mixed-use neighborhood people actually WANT to live, work, and play in. This episode covers: What Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI) does—security, clean teams, outreach, planning—and how the public improvement district funds those services. Post-pandemic downtown trends: office return patterns, rising weekend foot traffic, and why Saturday can be busier than some weekdays. The growth of downtown housing and why a true 7-day downtown needs grocery stores, parks, and neighborhood services. Safety and coordination with DPD, camera footage sharing, and DDI’s role in quality-of-life enforcement. Big-picture projects: convention center renovation, Dallas College expansion, rehabbing iconic office…

People in this episode

Host: Zach Sams

Guest: Jennifer Scripps

Topics covered

• Downtown Dallas
• urban development
• public improvement districts
• post-pandemic trends
• safety and quality of life
• infrastructure challenges
• community services

Keywords

• Dallas
• urban planning
• mixed-use neighborhoods
• convention center
• FIFA
• housing growth

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Reviving Downtown Dallas, Working Title

Places: Dallas, the Big D, Texas, Arizona, Lajitas, TX

More episodes of Working Title with Zach Sams

• Is Dallas-Fort Worth still booming—or starting to slow down? · March 31, 2026 · 44 min
• The Ultimate Dallas Sports Bracket: Who’s the Greatest of All Time? · March 16, 2026 · 52 min
• Texas Real Estate in Transition: Growth, Gridlock & the Future of Housing · March 4, 2026 · 57 min
• Chris Putnam on The Dallas Express, Media Bias, and the Future of Dallas · February 12, 2026 · 50 min
• How Buddy Cramer Created the Iconic Katy Trail Ice House: Lessons in Outdoor Hospitality · February 6, 2026 · 43 min
• How to Fix Dallas Transit: Lessons from David Leininger on Rail, Buses, and On-Demand Solutions · January 22, 2026 · 41 min