Paul the Planning Alpaca is the official mascot of the Dallas Planning & Urban Design Department.  As an Alpaca, Paul is very friendly and curious, and wants to help everyone better understand what Urban Planning is. He also wants to help others make a difference in their neighborhood and in the city as a whole!

Check out our new activity booklet, Paul the Planning Alpaca Teaches Us About Urban Planning in Dallas. Paul will show you what an Urban Planner does in a normal week. He will also show you how he works with a group of residents to help keep their neighborhood a great place to live!

CLICK HERE FOR ACTIVITY BOOKLET

Learn about Paul
Paul the Planning Alpaca comes from a family of proud alpacas who grew up in a scenic, rural mountainous area just a few miles north of Ollantaytambo, Peru. At an early age, Paul had a desire to learn about the world through maps. He wanted to help communities, like his hometown, to live in a safe, organized manner. When Paul was 9 years old his dad accepted a new job, moving his family to Dallas, Texas, USA. Paul knew from his knowledge of maps that Dallas was very far way. He knew that the culture would be very different and that they would all have to learn English. Like most alpacas, Paul was able to adapt well and get along with others. Paul and his parents are proud of their bilingualism and bi-culturalism as Peruvian-Americans living in a diverse city like Dallas.

Paul found his calling when he realized that he could be an urban planner, where he could explore his ideas and work with people from his and other neighborhoods to make the city better. After he graduated with his master's degree in Urban Planning, Paul joined the City of Dallas Planning & Urban Design team.