This white paper attempts to lay out policy recommendations for preserving the age and income diversity, livability, and strong community of Austin’s early suburbs in the coming 30 years, as new housing is added. It also points out special challenges for managing traffic and congestion in early suburbs. In so doing, it acknowledges the need for environmental, fiscal and transportation sustainability in the age of peak oil and global warming. It respects the need for developers to make a profit.
The paper is intended to support decisions by North Central Austin’s neighborhood plan contact teams. We hope it will also spur conversations with policymakers, developers, businesses, and other stakeholders.