Deep Ellum Pedestrian Experience

The East Dallas neighborhood of Deep Ellum is one of the most vibrant and culturally rich destinations in North Texas. Known for its music, art, and independent businesses, the district has strong cultural capital—but faces ongoing challenges in attracting sustained business development and investment.

To support Deep Ellum’s restaurants, bars, and local businesses, students from SMU Master of Arts in Design and Innovation partnered with community stakeholders to reimagine the pedestrian experience along the thriving Crowdus Street corridor. This work took the form of a comprehensive human-centered design (HCD) project focused on strengthening economic vitality without compromising the neighborhood’s identity.

The Challenge

Deep Ellum is seeking to increase capital investment and support for local businesses by creating a stronger sense of place within the neighborhood. At the same time, there is a critical need to preserve the culture, character, and community that make Deep Ellum distinct.

Like many urban revitalization efforts, this project required navigating the tension between growth and preservation. The central challenge was to encourage investment and foot traffic without contributing to displacement or eroding the area’s cultural fabric.

Research Question

To guide our work, we framed the challenge around a single research question:

How can the Deep Ellum Public Improvement District and the Deep Ellum Foundation improve the pedestrian experience for local businesses, residents, and visitors?

This question acknowledged the need to attract investment while centering the lived experience of the community.

Design Concept: Fill It In

Fill It In is a placemaking initiative designed to activate vacant storefronts and underutilized spaces throughout Deep Ellum. By transforming empty windows into opportunities for expression and engagement, the project aims to foster warmth, creativity, and community connection.

The concept leverages temporary installations, such as local artwork, holiday-themed displays, pop-up retail fronts, and social-impact storytelling, to create a sense of vibrancy and continuity along the street. These installations showcase local artists, organizations, and causes while making the neighborhood feel active and inviting, even in areas impacted by vacancy.

Our Design Solution

Building on this concept, our team explored how vacant properties could be used to create a perception of fullness and energy along the pedestrian corridor. One prototype transformed an empty storefront into an interactive photo-booth experience, encouraging visitors to pause, engage, and create memories tied to their time in Deep Ellum.

Looking ahead, Fill It In offers a scalable framework for the Deep Ellum Foundation to continuously activate vacant windows through rotating installations and pop-ups. By doing so, the project bridges community, supports local creatives, and enhances the pedestrian experience, making Deep Ellum more welcoming to residents and visitors alike while honoring the neighborhood’s cultural identity.