City-wide Survey Set to Close [Surveying the Future]

We’ve all heard it again and again and again: Austin is a-changing. In fact, Texas’ capital city is set to add 750,000 people over the next two decades. That can be a scary thought for anyone forced to drive on IH-35 every morning. But in a city-wide survey set to close tomorrow, December 10th, the City of Austin is asking residents: “Which Way, Austin?”

The survey, the final part in the development of Austin’s "Comprehensive Plan," asks residents to envision Austin in 2030. Users are given five potential scenarios for development and then asked to rate the importance of everything from bikes and buses to green space to greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Matt Dugan, Senior Planner in the city’s Planning and Development office, the scenario that most Austinites choose will influence the construction of the “Comprehensive Plan” which helps steer development. “It’s a city-wide plan that will help (guide the) city in how it grows, spends money and conserves its resources,” says Dugan.

The plan, however, is not without its critics. In a story from KUT, some Austinites argue that planners have not done enough to account for individual neighborhood nuances, instead taking too broad an approach.