Public education and community health have to be improved if Fort Worth is to successfully manage its growth in the coming year, said Mayor Betsy Price.

Price spoke to the TCU Retirees Association’s luncheon last week and encouraged them to talk about improving literacy and public education with their neighbors, friends and children.

“Public education is the biggest risk of regression that every city is facing right now,” said Price.

Fort Worth is the nation’s 16th largest city with 835,000 citizens. The population is expected to top one million by 2030.

Price said in addition to education,  overall community health is among the top priorities of businesses considering the move to a new city.

She said that programs such as the FitWorth movement and Blue Zones Project have been key in improving community engagement and lifestyles.

While the population of young people in Fort Worth is surging, Price said the city needs to focus more on senior policy issues.

Price called for putting better sidewalks in place, having traffic lights retimed and making streets more accessible.