Grit, growth and the Fort Worth way
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker is leading one of America’s largest and fastest-growing cities while working to preserve the Western heritage and civic character that make it distinctive. Parker brings a confident and practical perspective to questions of growth, public safety, housing and civic life. In this interview, she discusses Fort Worth’s culture of work and self-reliance and the habits that can keep a major American city rooted, neighborly and free. She spoke with American Habits editor Ray Nothstine.
I’ve always loved Texas music, the rodeos, and the strong sense of tradition. When I think of Fort Worth, I still think of the George Strait song, but also the Stockyards and the city’s identity as a gateway to the West. As Fort Worth grows, how important is preserving that cultural memory and ensuring the city retains the qualities that make it distinct?
Mayor Mattie Parker: I agree. Fort Worth is fortunate to have a reputation, even within Texas, as the quintessential Texas city—a place where Western heritage is not just something we’re proud of; it’s part of who we are as a community. Through a lot of hard work and tenacity, we’ve been able to hold on to that identity even as the city has grown.
It’s funny, Ray. When you talk to people who are from Fort Worth or live here now, they’re proud of our growth and excited about where the city is headed. But they always ask me, “Are we going to lose sight of who we are as a community, and that small-town feel that’s so important to us?”
Another great thing is that we’ve been able to turn that Western heritage and identity into a real opportunity for economic growth. It has become an important economic development asset for us, which is incredible. You mentioned the Fort Worth Stockyards. It’s hard to believe, but 1.2 million people now visit it every year.
I don’t know when you last had a chance to visit, but the Stockyards are an incredibly authentic place. No matter where you’re from, you immediately feel connected to it. Fort Worth is proud of that.
Cultural memory is incredibly important to the future of the city. We don’t want to become “Any City, USA.” We want to be known as Fort Worth and to retain our own distinct identity. As we’ve grown, we’ve tried to attract industries and businesses that fit the fabric of who we are.
We also recognize that Western culture and the Western lifestyle are booming right now, so it’s an exciting time to be part of that story. Taylor Sheridan [American film director and writer] and his team have played a significant role in it as well. What’s great is that none of it feels tacked on in Fort Worth. It feels authentic, and people recognize that.
There are other developments worth mentioning that you’ve probably followed, including corporate headquarters announcements and businesses relocating here. Ariat’s decision to establish a presence here, for example, is an enormous boost for our city.
We also have the continued success of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, which contributes so much to the Will Rogers complex outside the Stockyards. Fort Worth remains a premier destination for Western and equine sports. All those things are important to preserving and strengthening our identity.
At the center of all of this are our people. I often point to the USS Fort Worth as an example because its story captures something essential about the city. When the ship was commissioned about 15 years ago, it needed a motto. The one chosen was “Grit and Tenacity.”
That motto belongs to Fort Worth as much as it does to the naval vessel. Those qualities reflect who we are as a city today, and we’re incredibly proud of them.
I know you touched on this but Fort Worth’s growth has brought new residents, businesses and industries, but longtime residents sometimes worry that a city is changing too quickly. How do you embrace that growth while reassuring people that Fort Worth will retain its identity and the qualities that have always made it distinctive?
Parker: I think cities across the country sometimes overcomplicate this. In Fort Worth, the focus has to be on residents’ quality of life. During my five years as mayor, I’ve tried to ensure that everything we do as a city government begins there. We’re not perfect, and we stub our toes plenty. But it comes down to public safety, beautiful parks, clean water, neighborhoods where people want to raise their families and support for our school systems. It also means being pro-growth and pro-economic development while continuing to remind people who Fort Worth is.
As the demographic data show, people are moving to Fort Worth in droves. The Texas miracle is certainly part of that, as is our location in North Texas, but Fort Worth also has an individual spirit. You have to hold on to the city’s identity while also looking forward. That includes investing in and taking pride in the legacy companies that helped build the city.
One especially important industry for us is aerospace and defense. Lockheed and Bell are two anchor companies in Fort Worth, and we’re incredibly proud of the innovation happening there and their continued success.
Most people in Fort Worth see a city government that works alongside businesses rather than one they must work around. I think that relationship bodes well for the city’s continued success.
When you’re growing quickly, you also have to protect the things that make your city beautiful. For us, that means preserving green and open spaces, including the beauty of the Trinity River.
We’ve pursued some ambitious goals through an initiative called Good Natured, but that effort ultimately goes back to my first point about quality of life. Quite frankly, that is what residents and voters want to see.
I once interviewed for a job in Dallas and was struck by the cost of housing. Fort Worth still appears affordable by comparison, but it is not immune to the pressures driving housing costs higher across the country. How are you addressing affordability, and does Fort Worth’s ability to expand give the city more options for adding housing supply?
Parker: Yes. Fort Worth covers about 350 square miles, and only about half of the city is developed. That gives us room to build additional housing, but we’re also paying close attention to older housing stock and neighborhoods that need reinvestment. We’ve supported initiatives such as our community land trust, an innovative tool for creating sustainable, long-term homeownership opportunities in partnership with philanthropy.
We’re also working with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity to rebuild housing within existing neighborhoods. Maintaining high-quality schools is an important part of that work. Fort Worth’s public education system has gone through a lot of changes, and that evolution continues today. But there is no better way to strengthen a neighborhood than to provide high-quality schools that make families want to live there. Many of those neighborhoods offer lower-cost housing, and families are more likely to move in and reinvest in the community when they know their children will have access to a strong education.
In some ways, Fort Worth is a tale of two cities when it comes to development. Outside Loop 820, particularly to the north and west, we have a great deal of new development. Inside Loop 820, much of the housing is older. Addressing those different needs requires a variety of tools. We’re fortunate to have worked well with our public and private sector partners on innovative housing projects.
You’re right that Fort Worth was somewhat insulated from this conversation until about five years ago. Now, like the rest of the country, we’re asking what affordable housing really looks like and what meaningful access to homeownership requires.
Rising costs are putting pressure on families in cities across the country, and in places like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, that frustration has helped fuel support for more expansive government and even explicitly socialist policies. Many of the forces driving affordability, including inflation and federal spending, are beyond a mayor’s control. How should local leaders respond to those pressures without abandoning Fort Worth’s culture of work, responsibility and limited government?
Parker: Admittedly, when I hear the rhetoric of some national candidates and leaders in other cities, it sounds very foreign to us in Fort Worth. That is not a partisan statement. We are simply a community of incredibly hardworking people who are proud of the environment we have created and are continuing to build. We are pro-economic development, which means we are pro-jobs.
My background is heavily rooted in education, and since becoming mayor, I’ve worked to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality educational opportunity, regardless of the path they choose. We want to create opportunities for everyone whether it is through college or trade schools.
The appeal of democratic socialism often begins with the belief that people do not have enough for themselves or their families and that the system is fundamentally unfair or inequitable.
In Fort Worth, we have tried to build a foundation where people can succeed regardless of their background or education level. That spirit of self-reliance is central to our community and to the Fort Worth story. In many ways, we are a city that happened almost by accident on the banks of the Trinity River, and we have continued to succeed because of that spirit.
At the same time, we recognize that residents sometimes fall on hard times and deserve a hand up. We try to provide that help through innovative approaches. One great example is UpSpire, a partnership with Presbyterian Night Shelter. Through the program, formerly homeless individuals work under contracts with the City of Fort Worth and help clean up our community.
We have a major initiative to make Fort Worth one of the cleanest cities in America, and we cannot accomplish that alone. Formerly homeless residents participating in UpSpire are part of that effort, and as a result, they are getting back on their feet. We understand that people face difficult circumstances, but I firmly believe that moving the country toward socialism is not the answer. Fort Worth is a great example of why.
Here in North Carolina, we’ve seen growing concern about violent repeat offenders cycling through the justice system. For residents, public safety is fundamental to quality of life, and it also shapes whether businesses and families want to invest in a community. How do you see the connection between public safety, quality of life and economic growth, and what is Fort Worth doing to address repeat violent offenders?
Parker: We could talk about this all day. When I was elected in 2021, on the heels of 2020, the “defund the police” movement was at its height. Yet, survey after survey shows that Americans want to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and cities.
We ran on the message that Fort Worth could be both pro-police and pro-community, and that resonated with people. You don’t have to choose between the two. You can support and appreciate the Fort Worth Police Department while also recognizing that some aspects of policing may need to evolve. We have worked to find that balance in Fort Worth.
We also recognize that if you don’t have a safe city, Ray, you don’t have a city—period, end of story. We have watched great cities deteriorate. I don’t mean to pick on any one place, but I visited Portland, Oregon, for the first time several years ago. It brought me to tears to see the condition of its downtown and the rampant public drug use. That would never fly in Fort Worth. We are a law-and-order city in a law-and-order state.
The broken-windows theory is real, but public safety is not only about policing. It also involves code enforcement, neighborhood cleanup, and litter abatement. We now have a NET Force program that takes a coordinated approach to nuisance properties in Fort Worth, whether they are troubled motels or residential properties.
If you don’t have a safe city, you don’t have a city—period, end of story.
We bring together nonprofit organizations, the Police Department and code enforcement to concentrate resources in a particular area. As a result, people feel safer in those neighborhoods, and the approach has been incredibly effective. When I see other cities struggling with crime and public safety, I believe they have to begin with a foundational question: Does the community truly want to be safe? If it does, it must respect its police department and give officers the tools they need.
Regarding repeat felons and violent offenders, the answer is yes, Fort Worth is addressing them. Under both Chief Neil Noakes and Chief Eddie Garcia, an attempted murder has been treated with the same intensity and focus as a murder. Chief Noakes used to say, “They just got lucky they didn’t kill somebody.” We have to recognize that someone who attempts murder may be capable of committing one in the future and take that threat seriously.
We also have an incredibly effective district attorney’s office, and we work closely with it. Tarrant County has a strong judicial system. Chief Garcia has recently led conversations involving the district attorney’s office and members of the bench about defendants who posted bail despite the serious nature of their alleged crimes. The purpose was not to be punitive, but to ensure that everyone understood the nature of the charges and why keeping certain individuals off the streets was important.
Unfortunately, there are people who cannot be rehabilitated. Failing to recognize that can also hinder our ability to help those who are genuinely deserving of a second chance.
A city is not held together by government alone. Families, churches, nonprofits, schools and local businesses all help sustain its social fabric. How strong is that civil society in Fort Worth, and what role does it play in making the city work?
Parker: Do you remember the book Bowling Alone? It speaks to the idea that people desperately need a sense of belonging. Our clubs, associations and civic groups remain strong in Fort Worth. We have one of the largest downtown Rotary clubs in the country, and even as Fort Worth has grown into a major city, I still speak regularly to Lions Clubs and church groups. People need community, and that sense of belonging is alive and well in Fort Worth.
Our faith community is essential. When a resident or organization needs help, I have a network of people on our faith-based cabinet whom I can call and say, “These people need support, and you are the right people to provide it.” That response does not always need to come from government. Often, community members and local institutions are best positioned to step in.
We also have a tremendous number of nonprofits, and they work well together. Fort Worth has a strong, well-connected philanthropic community. When a need arises, I can reach out to several philanthropic leaders and ask, “Who should I speak with? Which organizations have you supported recently that might be able to help?”
Each year, through the Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City event, we recognize some of Fort Worth’s unsung heroes—ordinary people throughout the community who are doing extraordinary work. Several years ago, for example, we honored Judge Brent Carr upon his retirement. Decades earlier, before such programs were common, he helped establish our veterans court and drug court. He had quietly served on the bench for 20 years, doing important work without seeking recognition.
Those kinds of people and institutions are essential to a healthy civil society. They are also a major part of Fort Worth’s character and the success we have experienced.
If someone were visiting Fort Worth for the first time, where would you take them to experience the soul of the city?
Parker: If I had several chances, I would start by sending them to the Fort Worth Stockyards to understand our history.
They would also have to visit the Cultural District, home to the Modern Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the Kimbell Art Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Dickies Arena. It would blow you away. Fort Worth has one of the richest cultural environments in the country, even if many people do not realize it. We also have an award-winning, best-in-class zoo that is worth visiting.
I would want them to see some of the reinvestment happening in our communities as well. Historic Stop Six is experiencing a real resurgence through our partnerships with HUD and the private sector, and I’m incredibly proud of that work.
Fort Worth’s neighborhoods also offer a wide range of experiences. The Magnolia Avenue and historic Near Southside areas are especially lively, with plenty of restaurants and things to do.
And as we’re speaking, the place to be is Sundance Square, where we’re holding an official watch party for the final semifinal game here in North Texas. That part of the city has been electric during the World Cup, and it has been a lot of fun.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, what habits do Fort Worth residents need to preserve if the city is to remain successful, rooted, neighborly and free? In your view, what makes a model citizen who helps the community flourish?
Parker: This is not meant to sound Pollyannaish, but I often tell Fort Worth residents that I want our city to be an example. Even as our democracy struggles and civil communication breaks down, Fort Worth has traditionally been able to work through difficult, complex problems by bringing people to the table and sorting things out together.
We cannot allow the loudest voices on the far left or the far right to tear us apart. They may have an interest in division, but Fort Worth has an interest in holding together. That is essential as we mark America’s 250th anniversary.
Fort Worth has also been incredibly successful because of its strong public-private partnerships, and I hope those continue. We see that cooperation in ways both large and small. As you mentioned earlier, government is not always the answer.
We also need to preserve our green space and natural heritage. Fort Worth is a beautiful city, and we have reinvested in our parks, open spaces, tree canopy and the Trinity River. Protecting those assets will help us hold on to what makes Fort Worth special.
Lastly—and this may be a little in the weeds for anyone who is not a city-government nerd—Fort Worth operates under a council-manager form of government rather than a strong-mayor system. We may eventually become one of the largest cities in the country with that structure. Dallas operates under a similar system, although there has been discussion there about moving toward a strong-mayor model.
Fort Worth has benefited from a long history of excellent elected officials and city managers, which has created continuity in leadership. Partisanship does not belong in City Hall or on the council dais. Local leaders should be guided by common sense and focused on what is best for their city.
If Fort Worth can preserve that approach and continue attracting strong leaders, I believe we can remain an example at a time when many American cities are experiencing division and losing sight of what made them great.
This might be the most important question of all because it could determine your political future and maybe even your social future. Beyond Fort Worth, what do you love most about Texas? Part of being from Texas is believing it’s superior. Why is it the best state and what taps into your passion about Texas?
Parker: Texas has an individual spirit and sense of pride that very few states can match. You usually know when someone is a Texan. In fact, sometimes people will tell you they are Texans before they tell you they are Americans.
Because of that, the people here are fascinating. I’ve loved having the opportunity, in this role, to meet people from across Fort Worth and throughout the state. They come from different backgrounds and walks of life, but they often lead with the fact that they are Texans. That identity is what bonds and connects us.
I saw that spirit in full force last year, around this time, when the floods struck the Hill Country. People from across the state came together to help. I know that happens in other places, too, but Texas is incredibly special in that way.
I think that sense of identity is one reason so many people want to move here and become part of the Texas story. It is hard for other states to compete with that.
