Living Plaza

Living Plaza is a free monthly event, from April-October, open to everyone. Bring your lunch, buy lunch or attend to on the plaza. Several City Department staff members volunteer their time to plan and host a temporary installation of the City Hall Plaza improvements & programming recommendations made by William H. Whyte in his 1983 presentation to the Dallas City Council. The lunch time reenactment, called ‘Living Plaza’, occurs between 11:30 and 1:30pm on a Wednesday. City Hall Plaza has more than 2,000 people working right next to it, yet few people use it. The goal, besides helping to activate the plaza, is to also engage city staff in a discussion about urbanism and to demonstrate how great public spaces increase quality of life, improve safety and stimulate the economy.

These monthly installations involve activating the plaza area between the Henry Moore sculpture and the pool with movable chairs and tables, shade structures, additional landscaping, food concessions, activities and entertainment. The first ‘Living Plaza’ event, held in April 2011, offered visitors the opportunity to learn about the development history of City Hall and the plaza, about William H Whyte’s 1983 study, and how urban design could be used to elevate the plaza’s viability and importance in the community.

PLAZA FACTS

5.2 acres / 226,800 total square feet
        ( 2.6 acres concrete, 2.0 acres green, 0.6 acres water)
3 flagpoles, 31 light poles, 19 concrete benches, 132 bollards
2 public art pieces, 495 feet of blank wall and
65 feet of clear glazing facing the plaza
opened 1978

If you’re interested in more information about Living Plaza events, contact Arturo del Castillo.

More information about Living Plaza, visit http://dallaslivingplaza.wordpress.com/about/

"What attracts people most, in sum, is other people."
William H Whyte