Residents and activists in East Austin called for a halt and possible public vote on CodeNEXT during a community session Saturday where reparations for displaced individuals and a program to create affordable housing stock on city-owned lands were also discussed as possible solutions for gentrification focused in that area. The session – titled “Destruction, Displacement, […]
Land Development Code
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Council gets preview of CodeNEXT 2.0
Many of the answers amounted to “wait another week,” but City Council was able to pry some information about the second draft of CodeNEXT from consultants and staff at a special called meeting Wednesday. One of the main criticisms of the first draft was its hybrid nature, which proposed, for the most part, a form-based […]
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Single-family occupancy limits drop back to four in CodeNEXT second draft
There is a two-sided nature of the CodeNEXT drafting process. On the one hand, staff and third-party consultants meticulously work through the details of the new land use code on a daily basis. And, on the other, the land use commissions receive updates and weigh in every couple of weeks, resulting in some significant changes […]
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Commission finds itself at CodeNEXT crossroads
Only a few weeks before the scheduled release of CodeNEXT Draft 2.0, the Planning Commission at its Aug. 22 meeting took a step outside of business as usual and considered the alternatives in proceeding with the revamp of the city’s land use code. After the release of the first CodeNEXT draft, the Planning Commission decided […]
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Council members call for CodeNEXT changes
Just as the sun was beginning to glare down on the stretch of lawn around the welcome sign to Blazier Elementary School yesterday morning, a group of four City Council members kicked off what they are calling the #FixtheCode #4AllAustinites campaign. During the short press conference, the Council members called for more community engagement and […]
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Austin aims to simplify the language around CodeNEXT
The upcoming second draft of Austin’s new Land Development Code is expected to eliminate one of its key zoning tools, known as “transect” zones, which focus on a building’s form rather than its use. In theory, transect zones would allow for a wider range of uses in a given area, as long as a building […]
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MAP: Central Austin neighborhoods are providing the most feedback on CodeNEXT
The complete rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code known as CodeNEXT will have significant effects on housing, transportation and commercial development throughout Austin in the coming years. But so far, public input on the code has been anything but equal across the city. Online feedback, in particular, has been overwhelmingly focused on the wealthiest […]
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Commissioners spar on definition of family-friendly housing
With a school district facing cases of severe under-enrollment, it has become clear that the city needs to do more to cater to younger families and especially to provide housing that suits their needs. CodeNEXT, currently being mulled over by the land use commissions, offers a unique opportunity to change direction and ensure that Austin […]
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Clarksville meeting displays fear of CodeNEXT and density
On Wednesday night the pews at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Clarksville were packed with nearby residents who had come to hear about how their surroundings would be impacted by CodeNEXT, the proposed rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code. The meeting, which had been advertised for weeks by signs throughout the area alerting […]
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Community Development Commission grapples with CodeNEXT
The Community Development Commission voiced frustration over lack of outreach and discussion with the CodeNEXT team during a special called meeting earlier this month. The first draft of CodeNEXT, Austin’s land code rewrite, has been out since January, but some commissioners felt the team excluded lower-income families and individuals from the dialogue. Tensions brewed when […]
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The many balancing acts in Austin’s quest for affordable housing
When it comes to providing housing that is affordable to Austin’s poor and working-class residents, city leaders have very few tools at their disposal. The city is barred by state law from implementing the types of regulations that other major cities have used to create cheaper housing, notably rent control and inclusionary zoning. This spring […]
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CodeNEXT divides commission, spurs review of recommendation process
No city commission has been as prolific in its criticism of CodeNEXT than the Zoning and Platting Commission, and the commission fired off another letter of recommendation at its July 18 meeting in an effort to get feedback in before the release of draft 2.0 in September. After half a year of intense scrutiny over […]