Downtown Austin Plan
DRAFT FOR COMMUNITY REVIEW
November 2010
Importance of Downtowns in the 21st Century
I do not know what the future of downtown is, but here is what I am certain of:
If we are to have an efectve environmental policy, downtowns areimportant.
If we are to have an efectve transportaton policy, downtowns areimportant.
If we are to have meaningful historic preservaton, downtowns areimportant.
If we want Smart Growth, downtowns are not only important but alsoirreplaceable.
If a local ofcial wants to claim the treasured mantle of fscalresponsibility, downtown
revitalizaton is imperatve.
If we want to avoid Generica, downtown is essental to establishdiferentaton.
If the community is trying to compete in economic globalizatonwithout being swallowed by
cultural globalizaton, downtown revitalizaton has to be central to the strategy.
If new businesses, innovatve businesses, and creatve businessesare going to be fostered and
encouraged, a community will need a downtown where that can take place.
If we are able to have buildings with meanings, buildings with value,buildings with values, they
will be downtown.
If we are to have public places of public expression, we need adowntown.
If a community is going to embrace diversity instead of hide fromit, celebrate diversity instead of
deny it, then that has to take place downtown, it ain’t gonna happen anywhere else.
(Donovan Rypkema,
Journal of the American Planning Associaton
, Winter 2003.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTrODuCTION....i
I.EXECuTIVE SuMMArY1
II.DOWNTOWNDISTrICTS.......31
III.THE PLAN ELEMENTS.65
Historic Preservaton
Actvites And Uses
Density And Design
The Public realm
Transportaton And Parking
Utlites And Infrastructure
Leadership And Implementaton
ENDNOTES179
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.183
APPENDIX
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
SuPPOrTING PLANDOCuMENTS
(These documents are located at cityofaustn/downtown.)
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
Austn City Council Resoluton (2005)
Record of DAP Meetngs
Imagine Austn
Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement (2010)
DAP Historic Preservaton Policy Recommendatons for Downtown Austn (2010)
DAP Proposed List of Uses under Revised DMU Districts (2010)
Existng Zoning and Special Districts Maps (current)
DAP Afordable Housing Strategy (2009)
DAP Downtown Density Bonus Program
DAP Proposed Building Design Standards (2010)
DAP Strategies and Policies to Sustain and Enhance Austn’s Creatve Culture (2009)
DAP Downtown Infrastructure Strategy (2010)
DAP Ten-Year Implementaton Program (2010)
DAP Transportaton Framework Plan
DAP Parks and Open Space Plan
Waller Creek District Master Plan
Northwest District Plan
Core/Waterfront District Plan。