With the annual parade of lights this weekend following the lighting of the Christmas tree along Main Street, the holiday season is in full swing in Sundance Square. (If Santa can't see that tree, the astronauts on the international space station sure can.) Here's the tree on the plaza from the sixth floor of the recently opened Westbrook building. The building's architect, David M. Schwarz Architects CEO David Schwarz, was at the tree-lighting and reflected on DMSA's relationship with Fort Worth over the last 25 years: he credits the transformation of downtown to commitment from both private developers and city officials, and in particular, the vision and efforts of Ed Bass and Sundance Square.

David says the goal was to create a pleasant walking experience around all four sides of a block. (If he really wants to create a pleasant walking experience he will ban high heels.) When he first came to Fort Worth, he was told that Texans don't walk anywhere; they drive. His belief: that's because no one created a place to walk to. Fort Worth's success demonstrates that cities and downtowns, no matter how blighted, can be brought back and recast into successful, vibrant, and walkable neighborhoods, he says.