Item #2 Great Streets Update - Austin Planning — original pdf

Backup

Great Streets Update Austin Planning | Urban Design Agenda ▪ Great Streets Update Goals ▪ Community Engagement Overview ▪ Great Streets Update Schedule ▪ Next Steps 2 Great Streets Update Goals ▪ Align the program with other initiatives ▪ Holistic conversations around right of way ▪ Focus on the entirety of the Downtown experience ▪ Modernization and clarification of the standards ▪ Create champions for the program ▪ Work flexibility and conflict resolution into the standards ▪ Ensure continued and consistent funding and accountability 3 Community Engagement Overview ▪ July to December 2025 ▪ Gather feedback from residents, employees, and visitors about how they experience downtown streets and what they would like to see moving forward. ▪ Our outreach included: ▪ Online survey - 328 participants ▪ Open house - 75 attendees ▪ Stakeholder meetings ▪ Imagine Austin Speaker Series Event ▪ Almost 1,000 comments from all engagement ▪ This input will form the recommendations for the Update and define the priorities, challenges, and shared values that will guide future enhancements. 4 Who We Heard From How often do you visit Downtown? 5 What We've Heard: Survey What are the biggest challenges facing Downtown? 66% Would like to see shade trees and landscaping 61% Would like to see more pedestrian-only zones 6 What We've Heard: Emerging Themes ▪ Over 600 open-ended survey comments were analyzed and grouped into recurring themes that reflected what survey respondents value most about Downtown streets. ▪ From these patterns, Urban Design distilled 20 community themes into six core values: ▪ People First ▪ Vibrant Public Life ▪ Shade and Comfort ▪ Safety and Inclusive Design ▪ Seamless Connectivity ▪ Clean and Enduring Design 7 Survey Comment Analysis 8 Great Streets Update Schedule Analysis •Existing Conditions •Review of Relevant Plans Community Engagement Summer 2025 – Spring 2026 •Community Advisory Group Meetings •Briefings for City Boards and Commissions • Community Survey •Public Meetings •Technical Advisory Group Meetings Feedback Fall 2025 – Winter 2026 Production Fall 2025 – Winter 2026 •Compiling Feedback •Draft Plan Review •Draft Deliverables Reviews and Approval Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 •Commission Review/ Public Review •Hearings •Planning Commission •Urban Transportation Commission •Downtown Commission •Design Commission •Review and Potential Approval by Council 9 Next Steps ▪ Community Advisory Group Meeting #2 ▪ Technical Advisory Group ▪ Continue work on the plan document ▪ Boards and Commissions ▪ Urban Transportation Commission 10