North Austin News

The City of Austin has been named a finalist for the 2025 National Civic League’s All-America City Award. This recognition highlights Austin's efforts in improving environmental sustainability through inclusive community engagement.

Austin's Climate Equity Plan, which was updated to include a detailed equity framework and drawn from the input of over 200 community members and organizations, plays a significant role in its nomination. The plan sets ambitious goals aimed at supporting low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately affected by climate change.

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax stated, “This decade of bold action and innovation demonstrates Austin’s dedication to environmental sustainability, resilience, and equity — core values driving our vision for a thriving, inclusive community.” Broadnax emphasized the importance of community participation as part of the city’s efforts.

Community engagement has been a cornerstone of Austin’s approach to policy-making. Structures have been developed to ensure residents, experts, and advocates can contribute to key decisions and policies, which prioritize transparency and inclusion. The city has also created advisory groups to integrate feedback from the public into major civic planning efforts.

The National Civic League’s All-America City Award has been recognizing civic innovation for over 75 years. The award highlights communities utilizing local collaboration to drive significant progress. Selection is based on several criteria, including civic engagement, inclusiveness, equity, and the impact of initiatives. An independent panel of experts conducted the competitive review process to determine the finalists.

The 20 finalists for this year’s award, spanning 12 states, will present their achievements at the All-America City Award Event in Denver this June. Winners will be announced from June 27-29. The finalists share common themes of empowering residents, enhancing civic engagement, and ensuring local decision-making involves meaningful community participation.

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