MUNGER PLACE—WITH SWISS AVENUE AS ITS MOST impressive example—was designed with many of the qualities that would later be incorporated into new urbanism. Though there were no zoning laws in the early 20th century in Dallas, the developer, cotton gin manufacturer Robert S. Munger, created his own. Before he sold the first lot, he laid out parkways, sidewalks, gas lines, and water and sewage pipes. He relegated telephone and electric lines and parking to alleys behind the houses, and decided where the schools, fire station, and shops would be. Munger also placed restrictions on the costs of the new houses (none less than $10,000 on the main avenues, $4,000 to $5,000 on the side streets), the building materials used, and the landscaping.
But rather than chafing at Munger’s many rules, the soon-to-be residents and their architects and builders worked within them to produce a beautiful neighborhood of widely varied—yet harmonious—architectural styles and features.
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Dallas, TX.
