City's 'Growing a Better Arlington' Board Game Earns State Recognition

Published on November 10, 2026

The City of Arlington’s “Growing a Better Arlington” board game has earned the 2026 Gold Planning Achievement Award for Public Outreach from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association, the highest honor in the category.

Created by the City and planning consultant MIG for the Innovate Arlington Comprehensive Plan, the game gave community members a hands-on way to help shape Arlington’s future. Residents worked together to decide where homes, businesses, parks and other investments should go while considering community priorities and quality of life.

Through more than 30 engagement events between July and October 2025, participants identified priorities including walkable neighborhood retail and service areas, mixed-use development and greater access to parks and open spaces. These choices directly informed the Future Growth Scenario map that will help guide development for the next 20 years.

The game’s visual, collaborative format made community planning topics more approachable and showed how planning decisions connect to everyday life.

Residents can view the latest draft of the Innovate Arlington Comprehensive Plan at ArlingtonListens.com/Comprehensive-Plan.