Starting from a modest trading post on the Trinity River, cattle trails eventually gave way to railroads and the central location of Dallas made it a major meeting point for trade routes crisscrossing the country. The area that is now Downtown transformed into a dense urban environment where an expansive streetcar network connected neoclassical hotels, bustling department stores, and towering financial institutions. But in the decades that followed, highway construction began to isolate Downtown. Although it continued to see impressive additions to its skyline, the urban core became dominated by office towers and lost much of its street life.

However, that trend has since reversed. Klyde Warren Park reconnected Downtown with Uptown and inspired other projects that continue to cap the highways. Streetcars and other rail services have been reintroduced. Office buildings are being converted into residences, and parking lots are being transformed into parks and public spaces.