City staff outlines timeline, engagement approach for Downtown Austin plan update

City planning staff told the Downtown Commission on July 16 that a 2024 City Council resolution directed an update of the Downtown Austin plan and that staff are moving the effort forward as a consolidated Center City Central District plan covering downtown, the South Central Waterfront and the UT/University neighborhood overlay.

Shanisha Johnson, a principal planner with the Planning Department overseeing the district planning team, said staff have developed a scope, solicited preliminary cost estimates from planning‑bench consultants and plan to onboard a consultant in August. "We last presented on the Downtown Austin plan update at your December meeting," Johnson said as she summarized the work completed since December 2024 and the tasks underway.

The memo that initiated the work, Johnson said, directed staff to prepare a 10‑year outlook applying equity, resilience and sustainability lenses; to estimate costs; to identify potential partners and funding tools; and to recommend any necessary code amendments. Johnson described the current approach as a district…