Print | Austin American-Statesman
Partner Juan Miró has penned an opinion piece making the case for how and why Austin should become a model for the sustainable and inclusive city. See below for the full text:
In his recent State of the City address, Mayor Steve Adler stated that in these anxious times – with a pandemic still unfolding and a historic clamor against racism – we should seize the moment to create a just and equitable city. Indeed, for a growing city like Austin, “What do we want to become?” seems a pertinent question nowadays.
In 2011, I wrote an op-ed in this newspaper about the challenges of urban growth in Austin. I encouraged our leadership to preserve the low-density “landscape city” model that has defined Austin’s urban DNA since its founding while incorporating a denser, pedestrian-oriented “compact city” model strategically throughout the city. I still believe that embracing both models is the best way forward for Austin. Implementing this vision is challenging and the source of a healthy debate in the ongoing effort to overhaul the city’s land development code.
Austin is a landscape city committed to maintaining a healthy coexistence with its beautiful natural environment – a leader in sustainable development. As a practicing architect I understand that urban development must be carefully regulated to protect trees, aquifers, caves, creeks, wildlife habitats, and wetlands located within the city limits and beyond. The result is a city in an urban forest, a very attractive place to live. The pandemic has heightened its desirability.
In the post-pandemic city, more people will be working from home. With reduced business travel and flexible working hours, teleworking promises to improve Austin’s livability by reducing traffic congestion, commuting times and air pollution. In addition to new demands for remote working, homes have turned into spaces for teaching, learning, exercising, etc. Houses have become more desirable as they are better equipped than apartments to absorb these new expectations. The lockdown has shown too that—no matter how modest—access to private outdoor spaces increases our quality of life.
The recent groundswell of protests has also made painfully obvious the systemic racism still prevalent in society. Like other structural problems plaguing societies worldwide –inequality, poverty, crime and affordability—racism can thrive in any type of city, independently of its density. For example, 66 years after Brown v. Board of Education ruled school segregation unconstitutional, liberal and super-dense New York City has the most segregated public school system in the nation. This is a warning for our city leaders: more density alone is not the panacea for the maladies affecting cities. Each city must apply the strategies that serve its particular circumstances. While urban design must continue to play a significant role, it is ultimately the will of the people that will build a more equitable community.
In that regard, and to overcome its ugly past of segregation, Austin must commit to inclusivity and leverage its prosperity to erase persistent racial and economic inequalities. The potential is here: our city has a very diverse and forward-thinking population, and –in my experience as an immigrant—is also a very welcoming place. For 25 years, I have enjoyed designing for all kinds of people (white, Black, Asian and Hispanic) representing a remarkable variety of religious traditions and household types (singles, empty-nesters and families with children, some with interracial and same-sex couples). It has been a privilege to work alongside homeowners, developers, non-profits and public institutions shaping the private and public spaces that define Austin’s unique sense of place.
After all these years, I have realized that despite their differences there is a common thread that ties Austinites together: in their quest for a place to thrive and prosper, Austin welcomed them. They found here their own “arcadia,” an evocative place of harmony and natural beauty with the potential for them to lead a fulfilling life. We must aspire for that potential to reach all citizens and turn Austin into a model for the sustainable and inclusive city of the 21st century.