Irving, Texas, sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth, has been occasionally overshadowed by its neighbors. But ironically, the very thing that has led to Irving's identity crisis is also its biggest selling point. Irving sits minutes away from D-FW International Airport, a vertiable insurance policy for the continued growth of the city's existing businesses and a giant carrot for businesses considering relocation.

If city planners have anything to say about it, "location, location, location" -- the mantra that has drawn more than 5,000 businesses here -- will soon have more tourists hanging their hats in Irving not only to take advantage of the city's accessibility to both Dallas and Fort Worth, but also to explore the sights of this meticulously planned -- and sometimes forgotten -- city. A good geography lesson, thanks to a persistent public relations effort by Texas' fourth-largest convention and visitors bureau, is helping draw the attention of businesses and tourists to Irving, which, until now, has reveled perhaps too silently in its wealth of corporate and recreational opportunities.

Irving isn't alone in its identity crisis. Las Colinas, a 12,000-acre real estate development that serves as Irving's urban epicenter, hardly suffers from a lack of name recognition, but its relationship with Irving often puzzles the uninitiated. Las Colinas isn't a city, but rather the geographical center of the city. And if corporate relocations and expansions are any indication, Las Colinas soon will be carving out a new identity for itself -- and a very distinct one -- as Dallas-Fort Worth's second telecommunications center. Among the high-tech firms who call Las Colinas home are Nokia, Sprint Business, GTE, Sony, Lucent Technology, Southwestern Bell, Nortel, MCI, and AT&T.

This influx of multinational corporations to Irving has brought 51 different languages to the three independent school districts the city serves: Irving, Carrollton/Farmers Branch, and Coppell, as well as a myriad of opinions for how educational reform should be addressed. Irving found itself on the forefront of education when the 74th Legislature authorized the establishment of 20 charter schools in Texas, two of which were in Irving. Dubbed "schools of choice," charters schools are based upon the philosophy that students, if granted self-determination for school choice using per-student tax dollars, foster a system of competition in which public schools vie for students.

Charter schools are designed and operated by parents and teachers associated with the schools, rather than a centralize bureaucracy. While charter schools are free from most state rules and regulations, their performance of standards -- set by parents and teachers -- is still subject to review by the state. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, all eyes are on Irving's Renaissance School and North Hills School, two institutions striving to improve Texas education while forging relationships with Irving's corporate community.

The Renaissance School, opened in August 1996, was the first to be granted a charter. Its inception was due in large part to the efforts of Renaissance Steering Committee Chairman Don Jones, who sought to create a college-prep institution synonymous with high parental involvement, limited enrollment, and "virtual classrooms" capitalizing on the latest in technology. The Renaissance spent $2.5 million, $1 of which came from donations, on its computer technology. A significant percentage of the North Hills School student body is comprised of international students whose parents have relocated to Irving/Las Colinas with multinational corporations. The North Hills curriculum aims to facilitate a smooth transition for students when they return to schools in their home countries. Corporate involvement for both schools has come in the form of grants -- for teacher training, textbooks, phones, and computers, for example. Many more charter applications have been submitted and granted in Irving, and the city is likely to continue serving as a reprsentative of educational reform in the future.

Among the city's attractions are the Mandalay Canal in Las Colinas, a waterway that winds through the area. Visitors may take regularly scheduled gondola rides down the canal throughout the day. The annual "Canalfest," which takes place each spring, celebrates the Mandalay Canal with music and entertainment along the canal's banks. Nearby Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie is a multimillion-dollar hose racing complex that has been an overwhelming success in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The city's focal point, "The Mustangs of Las Colinas," is a succession of sculpted, life-sized mustangs galloping through a beautiful manmade pond. The sculpture is so life-like, in fact, that it attracts thousands of tourists each year. Irving's Texas Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys, and golf lovers are in heaven in Irving. The city plays host to the annual GTE Byron Nelson Classic, which takes place at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas.

In another attempt to boost name recognition and relocations to the city, Irving is working on the development of Campion Trails, a 22-mile winding greenway among the Trinity River's El and West forks. The $15 million city-funded project will create 22 miles of 12-foot-wide trails, including walkways for jogging, cycling, and other recreational activities, as well as an additional 10 miles of unpaved nature trails and equestrian trails. Part of the larger 250-mile historic Trinity Trails System used by North Texas pioneers, Campion Trails will trace the Trinity in a system of linear parks, linking Irving from north to south and reaching all the way up to Oklahoma.

The project represents the fragile balance Irving is attempting to maintain on a larger scale. While corporate growth is slowly bringing Irving out of its identity crisis, its interdependence with Dallas and Fort Worth is something upon which the city places particular value, and Irving's continued ability to prosperity depends on its ability to foster that symbiosis.

"I think tourists will always go to Dallas and Fort Worth, but we're really all one city," says Irving Mayor Morris Parrish. "That's the advantage of being here -- we complement each other. No one knows where the boundaries are. All of the cities will always be very supportive of each other. We'll always work together to attract industries and visitors and accommodate them. Maybe they won't always come to Irving, but when they're in any of our cities, they benefit us all."

Published: August 17, 1998

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