R/UDAT Austin Implementation: A Call to Action

Detailed Recommendations
   Urban Design
   Natural Environment
   Community Issues
   Cultural Arts
   Transportation
   Economic Development
   Downtown Management Organization

Participants

The Call ...
 

AT THE HEART OF AUSTIN is open space: a land of wildflowers, waterways and hilltops. One of its most dynamic features is its setting on the banks of the Colorado River at the foot of the Texas Hill Country. From Mirabeau B. Lamar's decision to establish the capital of the Republic on this soil, Austin has struggled to blend its heritage of natural beauty with its vision of urban growth. Current concern to protect the environment in the midst of urban development parallels the caution city planners expressed three generations ago.

In 1839, Edwin Waller laid out an exemplary plan for Austin, balancing east and west around a central axis connecting the Colorado River to a new state capitol, and flanked by a creek on either side. In 1928, Austin's leaders adopted a progressive city plan, the first since 1839. This plan marked a turning point for urban design and framed the Austin of 1992. The plan recognized the importance of preserving the city's natural beauty and open space. It established a parks and recreation department that guaranteed for future generations the enjoyment of such amenities as Barton Springs and Zilker Park. At the same time, however, the plan racially segregated the city. This decision to separate its people and commerce would strain Austin's social fabric for decades. Today's Austinites must carry forward the environmental vision of yesteryear, but continue to reverse the racial division inherent in the 1928 plan.

Austin is quintessential Texas, a place that offers the best of city and country. Austin is bluebonnets and blues, history and hill country, research and recreation. It is the center of a government that guides a land so diverse it is described as a "whole other country."

Austin is also home to a population of culturally diverse, educated, energetic and creative residents who are proud of their city and who are interested in promoting the success of its economic heart: Downtown. Downtown includes college and university communities, the State Capitol complex, the governmental seat of Travis County, a broad spectrum of commercial enterprises, and integral and adjacent neighborhoods. This population is augmented by the million and a half visitors who travel to the capital city each year. Downtown Austin is the center of government, education, culture and ideas for the Lone Star State. However, Downtown cannot fulfill this role and potential unless careful attention is given to issues that accompany growth and evolution. Responsibility for, and benefits from, its development and social well-being must be shared by everyone.

As a city grows, so do the complexities of sustaining its quality of life. An urban center encompasses architecture and open space, culture and commerce, transportation efficiency and pedestrian accessibility, work and recreation. However, the vitality of urban life centers around people. Crime, pollution, substance abuse and homelessness drain vitality and deplete both human capital and natural resources.

Difficulties also arise from the fragmented structure of Downtown. Effective mass transit and Downtown circulator systems must unite the economic, cultural, residential and governmental centers of the Downtown community. Some neighborhoods are frustrated by a lack of meaningful inclusion in city planning. Insensitivity regarding these issues will further divide the community and reduce its ability to effect positive results.

Austin is a place where people want to live and do business. Keeping it thriving is a matter of addressing a broad spectrum of economic and social issues. The job is too big for government, business, academia or citizens to handle alone. But a joint effort by a representative group can work together to ensure the success of Downtown's role as the driving force of Austin. Downtown must become everyone's neighborhood.

In 1989, a Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) was invited to Austin to analyze current Downtown conditions and to recommend strategies to usher Austin into the 21st century. That assessment is documented in the January 21, 1991 report  R/UDAT Austin. The results of further consideration and investigation by the R/UDAT Implementation Committee are documented in this report.

This document provides a proposal for revitalizing Downtown Austin. Recommendations, some calling for specific actions and others encouraging further discussion or investigation, are intended to provide a framework which will coordinate other planned and spontaneous initiatives.

The call to action is being sounded. More than six decades have passed since a comprehensive Downtown proposal was implemented. Now is the time for the Downtown community to unite in commitment to a revitalized Downtown.

URBAN DESIGN

Cities should aim to unify function and form. Residents and visitors should feel that Downtown is a spacious, inviting structure, with well-placed corridors and a sensible blueprint. Downtown Austin should be a place to go to, not through. Achieving this goal means using varied methods of transportation, slowing and reducing automobile traffic, and increasing pedestrian activity. The overall goal is to create user-friendly linkages to connect Downtown's nerve centers. Installing a transportation circulator system (expanded Capital Metro 'Dillo routes and/or trolley) will achieve an efficient network. Efforts should be undertaken to link East Austin with Downtown. The physical and psychological barrier of Interstate 35 must be reduced.

Congress Avenue and East and West Sixth Street are vital components of Austin's urban design. Congress Avenue is the center of the city's business community. Sixth Street by day is a collage of specialty shopping opportunities and by night is a panorama of live music, dining and entertainment. Soon, the Convention Center will present another district of commerce and entertainment. The Center is a bold step toward revitalizing Downtown.

Downtown benefits economically and culturally from the presence of the University of Texas and the Capitol complex. However, linkages between these areas are weak or non-existent. Better transportation along Congress Avenue will produce unity among these vital elements. This linear relationship should begin at the river's edge, flow along Congress Avenue through the Capitol complex, and culminate with a gateway marking the entrance to the University. This upgrade will restore stature to Congress Avenue, the Grand Boulevard of Texas.

A successful Downtown is a 24-hour Downtown; a positive mix of residential and commercial areas is necessary. People must want to live as well as work in Downtown. Every effort therefore should be made to encourage Downtown residential development. In order to maintain this metropolitan blend, regulations should prevent commercial expansion from encroaching on established neighborhoods.

Downtown Austin is preservation as well as innovation. The City's Historic Landmark Commission must develop meaningful regulations to ensure preservation of historic buildings that enhance Downtown's character and boost its tourism. The Capitol building is the crown jewel of Austin's rich history and work is under way to restore its grandeur. The Capitol restoration is another bold step toward revitalizing Downtown. This blend of past and present gives Austin its rich texture and personality. The city's heritage must resonate through its urban future.
(detailed recommendations)

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Downtown's urban setting, contrasted against the backdrop of hills and lakes, gives the city its unique character. Residents and visitors enjoy a large and diverse parks system offering a range of recreational and cultural amenities, from boating and hiking to picnics and concerts on the shores of Town Lake. These open spaces and waterways provide Downtown's natural borders. This blend of commerce and recreation has long attracted residents and businesses in search of a better quality of life. The economic prosperity of Downtown depends on protecting this balance between mankind and nature.

The natural environment is a fragile system. Therefore, use and enjoyment should be balanced with care and preservation if Austin is to preserve its unique character. Water and air pollution from automobiles, and litter lining the banks of Town Lake are two examples of current environmental degradation. Environmental degradation affects all segments of the population, but Austin has always been environmentally conscious, and its residents are determined to preserve and enhance this ecological bounty. Vigilance on the part of the City, business community and private citizens will ensure this goal is achieved.

Paramount to the use and enjoyment of these natural amenities is ease of access. Natural linkages between Town Lake, Waller and Shoal creeks, the Convention Center, and other areas of Downtown are inadequate and should be enhanced and maintained. Town Lake deserves special emphasis because of the north shore's proximity to hotels and the new Convention Center. The south shore, as home to Zilker Park, Barton Springs, the Hillside Theater and Auditorium Shores, is equally vital.

Preservation of our surroundings is crucial. Enhancing the beauty of both shores will add to the desirability of Downtown as a place to visit rather than bypass. The relationship between Downtown and its natural environment should be a relationship of urban form and open space.
(detailed recommendations)

COMMUNITY ISSUES

The spirit of Downtown transcends its structures. People, not buildings, are its soul. People are a city's most precious resource. Every structure built, every park cultivated, every landmark preserved is a reflection of a desire to elevate our quality of life. But in striving to advance, a city sometimes alienates and divides members of its population. While people are a community's most precious resource, they are also in danger of becoming its most neglected.

Austin, like most cities, faces the serious problems of homelessness and transience. They are issues that emotionally divide the community. Complicating the situation is the proximity of social service agencies to central Downtown. On one hand, there are those who believe these services should be kept Downtown. On the other, some consider that the presence of these individuals disrupts business and that the agencies assisting them should be located elsewhere.

This is a controversial issue, but all must realize that urban centers are the home of the homeless. Moving facilities that care for them to outlying areas will not alleviate the problem. This issue is, and will remain, a challenge for Downtown. With this understanding, the community can move forward. Public and private support is needed to meet this social challenge. The City must provide a comprehensive mental health, alcohol/drug rehabilitation, and housing center. Developing a policy of compassion for transience, homelessness and substance abuse must be part of Austin's vision.

Basic community services are an essential ingredient. Downtown must be perceived as safe, clean and active. The safety of residents and patrons is dependent upon increased police protection and continued enforcement of curfew and alcohol consumption ordinances. The new Convention Center requires establishment of a special police district for Downtown. Daily cleaning of alleys and streets remains under the City's jurisdiction, but property owners and businesses should shoulder more responsibility for Downtown's condition. Beautification is a marketing tool that should be vigorously encouraged.
(detailed recommendations)

CULTURAL ARTS

Austin's cultural arts community mirrors its personality. Its dynamic mix of residents has created a diverse and spirited arts scene. On any given night, Downtown offers a spectrum of theater, music, dance, and art exhibitions to patrons. One survey suggests that Austin has the sixth largest concentration of artists of any city in the nation. Art is a reflection of ourselves, of our society. It is a portrait of humanity. It is also a vision of what we can become. By encouraging artistic expression, we enrich our society.

But artistic expression requires a forum for exhibition. A Comprehensive Cultural Arts Facilities Plan will create Downtown arts venues to accommodate Austin artists and art organizations. This vision recognizes the city's diverse cultural composition and its specific needs. This plan will present questions of design, management and funding. Although this task is enormous, nurturing the cultural arts environment will be a catalyst in revitalizing Downtown.

Central to the development of artistic unity is the creation of a Cultural Arts District, accomplished by coordinating the activities of arts organizations, the Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Arts Commission and the City of Austin. These facilities should share in marketing opportunities and be located throughout the Downtown area. The Cultural Arts District will serve artists in the local, regional, national and international markets. Additionally, it will include the existing arts facilities and organizations, as well as future development. The Cultural Arts District will provide and nurture a multicultural environment where everyone can enjoy a variety of events. Furthermore, a district will allow our vibrant arts community to reach its full potential as an important part of Austin's economy. Festivals and special events should be arranged in concert with specific city departments and private organizations. These joint projects between cultural and commercial entities can showcase and promote Austin-based artists and cultural arts organizations, adding a myriad of cultural and economic benefit.

Visitors and residents alike can benefit from the development of the Austin arts scene. Talent, energy and ambition exist within the artistic community, but development of these attributes requires commitment on the part of civic leaders to establish Austin as a first-class cultural arts showcase.
(detailed recommendations)

TRANSPORTATION

Downtown's future success depends on an effective transportation system linking its main components. The main components of Downtown, the University, Capitol complex, central business district, Town Lake and East Austin are disconnected. Consequently, mobility is impaired and the potential for interaction is reduced. The University's students and employees find it difficult to patronize Downtown shops and restaurants. Visitors are bewildered by unclear tourist routes and the lack of accessible transportation. East Austin businesses find it difficult to attract customers because of insufficient access across I-35. The University, central business district and Capitol complex anchor Downtown's economy, but inadequate circulation between them restricts their interaction. Ineffective mass transit inhibits Downtown opportunities.

At the heart of these challenges is the automobile. Without it, access to Downtown's amenities is often impossible. With it, traveling Downtown brings congested traffic and inadequate parking. Auto traffic increases air pollution, depletes energy resources, causes delay and burdens the taxpayer with costs for roadway expansion and improvement.

Improved mobility and reduced traffic congestion hinge upon mass transit. The adopted system should encourage pedestrian traffic, decrease and slow automobile traffic, stop frequently at popular sites, be affordable and environmentally sensitive. Capital Metro must act to establish a Downtown circulator system. Transit would be augmented with the installation of a light rail system that serves Downtown and outlying Austin communities. A public transit system that links all segments of Downtown can create an integrated environment, providing access to recreation, commerce and culture.
(detailed recommendations)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Downtown must regain its position as the economic hub of the city through the implementation of a progressive economic development plan. Downtown, however, is no longer perceived solely as a center of commerce but must also incorporate culture, entertainment, tourism and residential neighborhoods to maximize its chances for prosperity.

Existing amenities are a key to the future prosperity of Downtown. The Capitol, the University, Convention Center, cultural and entertainment venues and immediate proximity to Town Lake should be marketed as an economic magnet luring businesses to Downtown. These attractions, missing from Austin's suburbs, provide a unique setting for commerce. Future action should build upon this strong base.

Downtown Austin's role as a retail center is declining. Few stores remain, and their retail mix is limited. Some retailers only cater to the business community and are open limited hours. A healthy economic picture requires a strong retail base in Downtown, with a rich variety of attractive shops. The East Eleventh Street Business District and the East Twelfth Street Gateway must become a vital business link between East Austin and Downtown.

Small businesses are the backbone of local economies, and Austin must make it attractive for these businesses to locate Downtown. Additional initiatives to increase the number of women and minority owned businesses are required.

The music and entertainment scene in Downtown is a rich source of revenue. The nearby Convention Center will be a vast economic resource for Austin and will provide new opportunities for attracting visitors and a larger market base. The overall economic impact of the center will be felt throughout the city. Taxicabs, retail stores, clubs, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions will all benefit from its presence. Heritage tourism and marketing is another essential tool for developing Downtown and East Austin. Programs should make historic sites more interesting, accessible and attractive. Signage and walking tours should be improved. Continued funding for preservation of historic sites is critical.

Downtowns are also seen as a reflection of a community's overall quality of life. The qualities of a city's downtown are often considered by relocating businesses as a factor in deciding to move into an area. Therefore, it is of vital importance that an economic plan for the revitalization and future development of Downtown be implemented.
(detailed recommendations)

 
... The Action

AUSTIN'S CARING AND ENERGETIC RESIDENTS have created a wealth of projects and ideas for rejuvenating the Downtown area. Rich and diverse ideas are in abundant supply, but there is no unified body to guide their development. The success of Austin's revitalization depends on creating a Downtown Management Organization (DMO) to nurture the vision for a revitalized Downtown and to keep the momentum alive.

DMO

Acting as Austin's Downtown advocate, a DMO is management of Downtown by Downtown. The DMO will: provide leadership and oversee promotional, management and financial concerns; be a unified voice for property owners, local government, tenants and Downtown patrons; represent Downtown at the local, state and federal levels; ensure accountability in planning, funding and implementation of projects and programs; produce additional funding to implement high-priority projects and programs; interact with social, business and adjoining neighborhood organizations; underscore Downtown's role as the seat of government and the economic, cultural and social focus of the city; and consolidate the strengths of Austin's business and civic leaders.

The DMO will be run by its members and guided by a board of directors who have ultimate responsibility for DMO operations. Austin is the only major city in Texas without a Downtown Management Organization. Formation of a DMO will enhance Downtown Austin's image as the regional hub through the encouragement of commercial, retail, residential and entertainment growth.

PID

Funding for the DMO will come from the establishment of a Public Improvement District (PID). A PID is proposed as a means for the Downtown Austin community to provide adequate and equitable funds for supporting and marketing Downtown beyond the level presently provided by the public and private sectors. The PID's funds will be raised through a levy on assessed property values within the PlD's boundaries. Once a PID is in place, DMO membership will be automatic for all property owners assessed in the district.

The City Council should approve authorization and formation of a Public Improvement District.
(detailed recommendations)

CONCLUSION

Austin is at a planning crossroads. One path leads to a future Downtown characterized by an eight-to-five existence, an ever-dwindling selection of shops and restaurants, entrenched geographical divisions, a stranglehold of cars, and a sea of blacktop where open space once prevailed. The other path leads to a Downtown with a rich cultural and retail mix, effective mass transit, abundant natural beauty, unified East and West Austin, and adequate services for those in need.

Planning is an ongoing, necessary process, but is pointless if implementation never occurs. The rapidly changing world no longer permits the luxury of continued debate and procrastination. Deciding not to decide is no longer an option. Actions taken today will frame the city for the 21st century and dictate the quality of life for future generations. It is time for Austin to evolve from a city of ideas into a city of action.

This report should be adopted by the City Council as a guide for City departments, boards and commissions, in carrying out their planning and operating functions.