In August of 2023, after three years of planning and many thousands of dollars, City Council was forced to scrap its comprehensive Zilker Park Vision Plan, amid a bitter battle waged by detractors and the park’s surrounding residents. But the million or so visitors to the park have not flagged in the years since, and […]
Environment
Posted inParks
City document reveals new details on $25 million boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake
Austin’s most famous trail is on track to get a $25 million upgrade. A new boardwalk is planned for the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, replacing a cramped section of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail between South First Street and Congress Avenue. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is paying […]
Posted inParks
Parks Board wrestles with proposed criteria for ‘legacy’ concessions
How many years should it take for a concession in city parks to gain legacy status? City staff are proposing 30 years, but some Parks and Recreation Board members say that number is too high. After deliberating whether to recommend lowering the threshold, the board ultimately voted to ask City Council to weigh how women […]
Posted inParks
Parks and Recreation Department urges parkland acquisition in 2026 bond
In 2009, Austin City Council adopted the urban parks initiative, setting a goal to provide parks within a five- to 10-minute walk of all residents. As of 2025, only about 70 percent of Austin residents live within walking distance of a park. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) wants to get that number to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission applauds progress on bird-safe buildings
With more than $5.5 billion generated annually in Texas from birdwatching and bird tourism, Austin leaders and community stakeholders want to ensure the safety of the roughly 400 species that reside in or migrate through Travis County each spring and fall. As such, Watershed Protection staff have developed a set of recommended code amendments and […]
Posted inEnvironment
City and union leaders present creative workarounds to federal challenges on climate justice
Despite recent federal setbacks to the climate justice movement, Austin has a pathway to reduce its carbon footprint, create hundreds of jobs and save nearly $3 million per year in energy costs, according to the Texas Climate Jobs Project (TCJP). The coalition launched its new report, “Powering Public Progress: Decarbonizing Austin’s Municipal Buildings for a […]
Posted inParks
City could use Hemphill Park as a drainage site to mitigate flooding
Adams Hemphill Neighborhood Park could serve as a detention basin to reduce flood risk in a Central Austin historic neighborhood. The Parks and Recreation Board last month voted for a recommendation to City Council to approve 138,136 square feet of the park for permanent use, and another 11,997 square feet of parkland for temporary use, […]
Posted inWater
Study reveals elevated levels of tire and road microplastics in Austin’s reservoirs
A study from the University of Texas indicates a higher concentration of microplastics at the mouths of Austin’s major urban tributaries, like Shoal and Waller creeks. The majority of particles found in samples had tire and road origins, compared to lower numbers of plastic fibers or fragments broken off of other plastic products. Last week, […]
Posted inParks
Parks board aims to make city ball fields more accessible to community
The Parks and Recreation Board expects to vote later this month on a resolution that calls for greater public access to city-owned baseball, softball and soccer fields. To accomplish the goals outlined in the draft proposal, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department would need to standardize and clarify the contract language with outside organizations that […]
Posted inWater
Tapping In: Resource concerns flow at water panel
Rising pressure on local water infrastructure, with prolonged drought, declining inflows and rapid population growth were the focus of a recent Urban Land Institute Austin panel. Speakers called attention to ongoing water policy shortfalls at the state and local levels and warned that continued development could outpace available supply unless legislative and planning reforms are […]
Posted inParks
Council will delay Zilker Café vote to reconsider ban on alcohol sales
Four years after public outcry nixed a proposal to allow alcohol sales at Zilker Café, City Council now appears willing, if not eager, to permit the use. At Tuesday’s work session, Council members questioned whether the vendor up for approval at Thursday’s meeting could generate sufficient revenue without beer and wine sales, which the city […]
Posted inWater
With reservoirs replenished, Austin will loosen some water use restrictions
The dramatic rise in water levels in the reservoirs that supply Austin is allowing the city to loosen drought-related watering restrictions that have been in effect for about two years. Under the new system, which kicks in Sept. 2, Austin will go from Stage 2 drought restrictions to the baseline rules the city calls “conservation stage.” Despite […]