The June meeting of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhood Associations was held on June 6, 2019, at the University Christian Church. Our distinguished guest for the evening was Dr. Paul Geisel.
Dr. Geisel helped found the Institute of Urban Studies which is now known as the School of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. He retired from UTA in 2005 after 35 years on the faculty. Later that year he was named professor emeritus.
Dr. Geisel’s talk was called “Why Fort Worth Needs Strong Neighborhoods and Associations: A Conversation.”
We talked about Fort Worth’s rapid growth. He explained neighborhood life-cycles and the challenges of newer subdivisions where all the houses are the same age and so are the people. Too many newer developments are completed ahead of the necessary infrastructure, primarily transportation in and out. History and topography define a neighborhood, but critical events like natural disasters can have life-changing impacts. For Fort Worth, the flood in 1949 and the tornado in 2000 were those events.
He said that a neighborhood needs a sense of place and identity to flourish; neighbors need something to share to encourage involvement. People should learn about their neighborhood and their neighbors and walking is the best way to do that. Neighborhoods diverse in income, race, and age have the best chance of survival. He also warned that doing nothing was a form of action and that most problems affecting neighborhoods need not be surprises.
Dr. Geisel gave us some good ideas and interesting things to consider. Everyone enjoyed the evening and learned a lot from Dr. Geisel and we are really grateful that he spent time with us.