Dallas' proposed "International District" needs a better name

The planned park and entertainment district near the site of the Valley View Mall needs a name. As we reported last month, city officials hope the area could become a tourist attraction akin to Chicago’s (excellently named) Millennium Park.

Why it matters: The development was originally called Dallas Midtown, though it’s several miles north of Uptown, so that won’t work. City leaders call the area the “International District,” which is objectively terrible.

What’s happening: We came up with a brief list of names for the area that are better than “International District.”

• We’ve divided these possible names into categories:

Sensible geographic names

• Valley View District: We could just name the area after the mall it will replace.
• Spring Valley District: Because Spring Valley Road runs right by the proposed development.
• North Dallas District: Because, well, it’s on the north side of the city.

Tributes to Dallas citizens

• Harrison District: Named for Adlene Harrison, the first female mayor of Dallas, who died this week at age 98.
• Pride District: Named for country music icon Charley Pride, who lived in Dallas until his death in 2020. As a bonus, the site could also become a beacon to the gay community.
• Fountain District: Named for “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” author Ben Fountain. The district’s plans already call for at least one waterfall.
• Marvel District: Named for legendary former DMN writer Bill Marvel, though the obvious superhero tie-ins would certainly draw children of all ages.

Blatant appeals for tourism

• Garden District: The plans already include several gardens, plus this makes the area sound much prettier than it actually is.

• Cookie District: Who wouldn’t want to visit a place named after cookies?
• Taco District: We already want to have lunch there every day.
• Piano District: Architect Renzo Piano has designed several buildings in North Texas, plus this makes the area sound musically delightful.
• Dolly Parton District: No, the singer doesn’t really have any obvious ties to Dallas, but who doesn’t love Dolly Parton?
• Inflatable District: Yes, inflatable Christmas decorations are literally trash, but they’re still popular. We could corner the market while it’s hot.
• Harry Potter District: Millennials who grew up reading these books are adults now, and they travel.