North Austin News

The City of Austin is initiating a community-wide effort to update its comprehensive plan, Imagine Austin. Originally adopted by the City Council in 2012, Imagine Austin is a 30-year plan that envisions the city as a hub of sustainability, social equity, and economic opportunity. It aims to celebrate diversity and creativity while ensuring community needs and values are met. The plan also emphasizes leadership from citizens and accessibility to life's necessities.

Since its adoption, Austin has experienced significant changes including an increase of over 100,000 residents, a doubling of median home prices, a shift to a single-member district system for City Council, and the approval of Project Connect's transformative transit investment. These developments have prompted the need for an updated comprehensive plan.

Last year, the City Council authorized this update as part of the adopted city budget. The revision process will involve multiple phases of community engagement lasting through 2026. The first phase begins this month with Planning Department staff engaging residents and community groups across the city to discuss priorities and shared visions for Austin's future.

“Our comprehensive plan is a living, breathing document that should reflect the values of our community,” said Planning Director Lauren Middleton-Pratt. “The Austin of 2024 doesn’t look like the Austin of 2012, and we know our city will continue to change and evolve. We look forward to collaborating with as many Austinites as possible to ensure that we create a document that shepherds an equitable, opportunity-rich future for everyone.”

The initial version of Imagine Austin was ratified after two years of extensive public engagement involving thousands of community members. It envisioned a compact, connected city that is affordable, environmentally sustainable, and promotes pathways to prosperity for all residents. Over the years, Imagine Austin has been amended several times to incorporate planning documents such as the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint, the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, and the Water Forward Plan.

These amendments ensure accountability by guiding decisions on housing, transportation, environmental policies, and land development based on community-vetted goals. During this upcoming revision process, city staff aim to integrate recently adopted Council policies while updating foundational commitments to racial equity, resilience, sustainability, and access to opportunity.

To facilitate public participation in this process equitably, staff will engage with various community stakeholders. A new website has been launched where residents can learn more about the update process: www.speakupaustin.org/imagineaustin. The site offers resources such as feedback surveys and opportunities for inviting staff to community meetings.