As the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex continues to experience explosive growth, the City of Denton is pursuing a deliberate strategy to expand without sacrificing its character, according to Mayor Gerard Hudspeth in a recent interview on The Building Texas Show.
Hudspeth, a lifelong Denton resident who first joined the city council in 2017 and was elected mayor in 2020, emphasized that effective city leadership requires building on past efforts rather than starting from scratch. "Cities don't change overnight," he said. "You pick up where your predecessors left off, stand on their shoulders, and keep moving the vision forward." His tenure has included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Winter Storm Uri, and rapid population growth.
A key priority for Denton is ensuring that graduates from its major universities—the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University—can find local employment and build lives in the city. To that end, Denton is focusing on job creation in logistics, advanced manufacturing, engineering, data infrastructure, and emerging technologies. Major employers like Peterbilt and Tetra Pak anchor the industrial base, while recent investments in high-speed computing infrastructure position Denton for AI-driven industries. The city is also working to attract higher-wage corporate and financial employers. "We want someone to graduate here, find a meaningful job, buy a home, and raise a family—without having to leave the city they love," Hudspeth said.
Denton is also leveraging its cultural assets as economic drivers. The city's "31 Days of Halloween" celebration attracted over 830,000 visitors downtown in a single month, boosting small businesses and demonstrating how coordinated civic efforts can turn culture into commerce. "That's the visitor center, the chamber, economic development, and local businesses all pulling in the same direction," noted host Justin McKenzie. "That kind of alignment doesn't happen by accident."
Looking ahead, Hudspeth highlighted the Landmark Development, a 3,200-acre master-planned community in partnership with Hillwood. The project, anchored by H-E-B, includes residential, retail, trails, and open space, with over 1,000 acres dedicated to outdoor amenities. "It's about filling in gaps, not just adding rooftops," Hudspeth said. "Growth should make the city better, not just bigger."
The mayor also stressed the collaborative nature of municipal leadership, noting that mayors and council members work alongside professional city managers and staff. "Just because you can win an election doesn't mean you can run a city," he reflected. "That's why strong partnerships and professional staff matter so much."
For more information on visiting or investing in Denton, the city directs residents and businesses to Discover Denton. The full interview with Mayor Hudspeth is available on The Building Texas Show on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
