We’ve said this before, but the upcoming redevelopment of the 37-acre Brodie Oaks shopping center into a new mixed-use community for South Austin is the sort of large-scale urban planning even the city’s most change-averse citizens ought to celebrate. Play with this slider and try telling us the “after” image doesn’t look like an upgrade: Taking a…
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Commentary, analysis, and quick thoughts on almost everything in town.
Inside Zilker Studios, South Austin’s Latest Affordable Housing Community
With a clean modern design and incredible panoramic views of the downtown skyline from a hillside at the edge of the coveted Zilker neighborhood , the 110-unit apartment building now nearing the end of construction at 1508 South Lamar Boulevard looks like it’s almost ready to hit South Austin’s hungry luxury market — but Zilker Studios, the latest project…
It’s Last Call to Vote for Housing at the Palm District in Downtown Austin
The recent planning effort by the City of Austin designating a large swath of downtown near I-35 as the Palm District has always felt a bit inexact for us, rolling the Rainey Street District, the area around the Austin Convention Center that also contains the plan’s namesake Palm School, the entertainment district along Red River Street, and the Innovation District near the new…
Teacher Retirement System Site Sells in Downtown Austin’s Innovation District
News broke in the Austin American-Statesman earlier today that the Teacher Retirement System of Texas has closed on the sale of its longtime headquarters in downtown Austin, a property occupying two full city blocks at 1000 Red River Street near what’s been recently dubbed the city’s new Innovation District. According to today’s report, the 3.83-acre site, currently occupied by some charmingly…
Turning Empty Rails to Urban Trails at the Bergstrom Spur in South Austin
A project by Austin Public Works converting more than six miles of abandoned rail line in South Austin to an all-access urban trail is shifting into the next gear this month — and although it’s not too flashy, the plan has the potential to bring some downtown-style urban design improvements to the region south of Highway 290,…
Saving North Austin From Suburban Sprawl, One Tower at a Time
The growing skyline of towers near the Domain area of North Austin is all the evidence you need for the success of the city’s North Burnet / Gateway Regulating Plan, a 2000s policy tweak unlocking extra height and density for projects around the intersection of West Braker Lane and Burnet Road. With an increased height limit of 420 feet recently approved in some areas and a new study requested by…