20260202-006 Completion of Updates to the Urban Design Guidelines — original pdf

Recommendation

. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Design Commission Recommendation Number: 20260202-006: Completion of Updates to the City of Austin Urban Design Guidelines WHEREAS, the City of Austin Urban Design Guidelines, created in 2000 as a set of recommendations that promote architectural and urban design standards reflective of Austin’s shared values, have not been revised since 2009 and are in need of a substantive update to provide for current best practices in design, general clarity to applicants, greater objectivity, and broader applicability across the city, and WHEREAS, the Design Commission is chartered to offer policy recommendations regarding specific issues or urban design and participate in developing design guidelines, and WHEREAS, to receive density bonus area, the director must determine that projects seeking to participate in the Density Bonus Program substantially comply with the Urban Design Guidelines; and the Design Commission shall evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether the project complies with the Urban Design Guidelines; and the director shall consider comments and recommendations of the Design Commission, and WHEREAS, City Council Resolution No. 20210902-046 directed the City Manager to “initiate an inclusive and robust multi-phased stakeholder process for updating the Urban Design Guidelines” and to “provide the necessary support and resources to the Commission to achieve the multiple phases of the update, including preparation, creation and finalization of the guidelines and ensure appropriate review by relevant City departments and boards and commission before returning to city council for approval upon completion of this work” in September 2021, and WHEREAS, City Council Resolution No. 2010819-035 directed the City Manager and Design Commission to work together to provide recommendations for design guidelines for infrastructure projects commissioned by the City of Austin, which the update to the Urban Design Guidelines also sought to address, and WHEREAS, the Planning Department provided a memo to Council extending the response deadline for Resolution No 20210902-046 to November 21, 2024, following initial Commission-led stakeholder meetings with subject-matter experts, and WHEREAS, the Urban Design Guidelines Working Group of the Design Commission delivered a working draft of the updated guidelines to staff in May 2025 and was not informed until December 2025 that staff had any concerns over the draft language, and . WHEREAS, the Design Commission has not received specific written or verbal comments on the working draft of the updated guidelines from staff, and thus has not had the opportunity to refine the draft to accommodate staff comments, and WHEREAS, Council Resolution No. 20210902-046 cites the needs for design recommendations for architecture, site design, and open space for the purpose of cultivating design excellent in both private and public development; setting expectations for and incentivizing high-quality design and placemaking; providing clear and consistent guidance for applicants and design teams; broadening the guidelines beyond the Central Business District to help shape the urban environment throughout the city; and aligning with council priorities in affordability, connectivity, equity and environmental initiatives, and WHEREAS, Council Resolution No 20210902-046 neither directly mentions the Density Bonus Program nor predicates the update of the Urban Design Guidelines in any way upon the Density Bonus Program or any updates thereof, and WHEREAS, the Design Commission was informed by staff at its December 2025 meeting that staff was placing its Urban Design Guidelines update work on temporary hold pending the City’s updates to the Density Bonus Program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Design Commission recommends the Austin City Council recognize the Design Commission as a critical stakeholder in the Density Bonus Program updates and direct the City Manager to involve the Commission early and regularly throughout the update process. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Design Commission recommends the Austin City Council reaffirm the importance of completing updates to the Urban Design Guidelines, regardless of the outcomes of the Density Bonus Program, and direct the City Manager to provide sufficient staff resources to provide an updated Urban Design Guidelines draft document for public comment and final Urban Design Guidelines update document for City Council approval. Date of Approval: February 2, 2026 Motioned By: Commissioner Wittstruck Seconded By: Commissioner Carroll 7-0 Chair Salinas, Commissioner Aradhyula, Commissioner Carroll, Commissioner Gelles, Commissioner McKinney, Commissioner Murkes, Commissioner Wittstruck Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: . Absent: Vice Chair Meiners, Commissioner Howard, Commissioner Khan, Commissioner Ladner Attest: _____________________________________________ Brendan Wittstruck, Design Commissioner