The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to redevelop 10 acres of largely empty land near downtown Austin has drawn criticism from labor advocates. The Workers Defense Project organized a rally of dozens of activists at the front door of Cap Metro’s headquarters on Thursday morning to pressure the board of directors to include stronger allowances […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inDevelopment
SXSW panel spotlights urban housing
Austin is no snowflake when it comes to issues of housing, affordability and density. Cities across the United States grapple with similar challenges even if they don’t have the robust economy that is driving growth here in Central Texas. Last Friday, two mayors from opposite sides of the country sat on a South by Southwest […]
Posted inTransportation
Mayors talk mobility at SXSW
South by Southwest’s claim to fame is its rich offerings for fans of technology, film and music, but this year it also offered a healthy smattering of civics for the so-inclined wonk. The Interactive portion of the festival featured a handful of panels that gave several mayors of U.S. cities the chance to opine about […]
Posted inWhispers
County seeks input on parks plan
Travis County is taking a draft of its parks master plan out for a test drive. Transportation and Natural Resources staff are holding public meetings for residents to provide feedback on the master plan document, called “…Take It Outside! The Next Ten Years.” The plan will ultimately provide a road map for building a “Travis […]
Posted inWhispers
Tech innovators disrupt county governance
Even as the city of Austin has put much of its official business on hold for South by Southwest, reliable old Travis County continues to keep the light of governance on – barely. The Commissioners Court will meet for its regular voting session on Tuesday, but the proceedings are expected to be very quick. The […]
Posted inCity Council
Kitchen: Spirit of innovation still alive in Austin
This year’s South by Southwest Interactive conference kicked off with a cloud of doubt hanging over the city of Austin’s relationship with the tech sector that has helped spur the regional economy for lo these many years. Recent efforts by City Council to take a less than laissez-faire approach to ride-hailing services and short-term rentals […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin closes in on federal mobility funds
Austin has been named one of seven finalists in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx made that announcement at a South by Southwest event in downtown Austin on Saturday. The news puts Austin in the running to win $40 million from the federal government “to help it define […]
Posted inAustin
At SXSW, Adler discusses public engagement
Mayor Steve Adler took advantage of South by Southwest on Saturday to spotlight opportunities to enhance public engagement through partnerships with tech sector entrepreneurs. The mayor was one of three speakers on a panel called “Crowdsourcing Policy: Constituents to Changemakers” and hosted by KUT reporter and Austin Monitor contributor Audrey McGlinchy. Appearing with Adler were Francisco […]
Posted inWhispers
The Lege looms large
Still some 10 months away, the 85th Texas Legislature is barely a blurry figure on the horizon, but its steady, stubborn gallop toward town is already putting the Travis County Commissioners Court on edge. At a work session on Thursday, County Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein delivered to the court a pastiche of possible property-tax […]
Posted inDevelopment
County hears ambitious proposal for Expo Center
As South by Southwest once again tests the limits of the Austin Convention Center, Travis County Commissioners Court is considering a new proposal that could not only bring the facility some relief but also attract the attention of a major league sports owner. Those were just two of the many enticing details embedded in a […]
Posted inTravis County
Eckhardt delivers state of the county speech
More than 100 people gathered at a Northeast Austin hotel on Wednesday night to hear Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt declare that the state of the county is strong. Eckhardt established her case for that assessment in a punchy, pithy and often unsparingly earnest speech presented by the Austin Area League of Women Voters. The […]
Posted inWhispers
No-spin zone
No one can say that City Council’s policies have the city going in circles. The Austin Monitor called Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo’s office on Tuesday to follow up on a plan – originally passed in December 2014 – to operate a vintage-style carousel. That item cleared the consent agenda during the final meeting of […]