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Austin Planning outlines Imagine Austin update, district plans, Great Streets and East Riverside Corridor engagement
Summary
Austin Planning presented multiple ongoing planning initiatives including an Imagine Austin update, the Northeast and Central City district plans, Great Streets modernization, and the East Riverside Corridor planning initiative, and described engagement timelines through 2026.
Chris Ryerson, division manager for Long Range Planning, and members of his team briefed the committee on Feb. 10 about eight ongoing planning initiatives and five projects recently completed. The update grouped several initiatives that will have public engagement and deliverables through 2026.
Evelyn Mitchell (Comprehensive Planning) said the Imagine Austin update (adopted in 2012 as a 30-year framework) is being revised with a narrowed scope due to reduced budget allocations; staff plan a spring launch for public engagement (survey in March or early April), a community working group of about 45 members, and deliverables that include an existing conditions report, a plan diagnostic and a place types map methodology.
Shanisha Johnson (District Planning) described two district planning efforts. The Northeast District Plan operates under an interlocal agreement with Travis County; staff completed two of nine deliverables (staff working group formation and an existing conditions summary) and will form a community advisory committee, pending Commissioners Court approval of CAC selection steps. The Central City District Plan expands the downtown plan to include South Central Waterfront and West Campus and aims for a potential Council adoption in December 2026, with multiple engagement phases and sub-area focus groups planned.
Jill Amezquah (Urban Design) outlined the Great Streets update: a block-face inventory downtown (231 block faces) and ongoing community engagement that yielded more than 1,000 comments; recommended updates emphasize a modernized standard, more implementation flexibility and development workshops; staff said they aim to go to Council for potential adoption by the end of the year.
Anna Villareal (ETOD/Station Area planning) described the East Riverside Corridor (ERC) planning initiative: a two-part process (a vision plan attachment to Imagine Austin and a regulating plan update to be incorporated in the Land Development Code), a proposed boundary expansion to include a half-mile around Project Connect stations to benefit transit investments, an explicit anti-displacement focus and a 12-month planning timeline with three rounds of community engagement and a target adoption date in 2026.
Why it matters: These planning initiatives set the framework for future land use, station-area development and downtown design guidance. The ERC and district plans directly link to Project Connect investments and to future density-bonus and regulatory changes described earlier in the meeting.
What's next: Staff said residents can follow updates on the SpeakUpAustin pages for each initiative and that phases of engagement (surveys, open houses, advisory groups) will continue through spring and summer before items return to Council for adoption consideration.
