ECT's Community Design Committee has created the "Mixed Use Matters" paper to initiate a regional conversation about how we can better design mixed-use, walkable, bikable communities. The document highlights benefits, opportunities, challenges, and Texas examples, as well as principles and standards that communities can use to inform their thinking. Click on the image to download the PDF file (approx. 4MB).

The December 2008 meeting of the Envision Central Texas Transportation and Land Use Committee included presentations from a transportation coalition pursuing legislative action on transportation funding (click on image to view presentation), as well as an update from the City of Austin on urban rail corridors click here to view presentation.

See the Vision! Envision Central Texas was founded in 2001 to address the tremendous growth pressures on our five-county region. Regional leaders realized the need for a common vision that would help us take steps to shape growth in a positive way. The two-year ECT visioning process was unprecedented, with thousands of people throughout the region discussing future growth as a connected community. See all the Vision materials by clicking on the picture.

News Around the Region

Don't miss Shifting Gears, hosted by BikeTexas and Texas Senators Rodney Ellis and Jeff Wentworth, on January 21. This luncheon will feature Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá, who will describe his accomplishments in transforming the city of Bogotá and how these ideas can change the dynamics of transportation in Texas, while building healthy communities and reducing traffic. Click on the image for more information.

2009 Statewide Land Trust Conference

Save the date for the 2009 Statewide Land Trust Conference on February 19 - 21, 2009 at the Marriott - Austin Airport South. Come hear expert speakers, attend panel discussions, see new exhibits and network with land-use related industry and peer leaders. Click on the image for more information.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative is an inter- disciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. They've recently released the Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Benchmarks - Draft 2008 and are seeking public comments on this report through January 20. Click on the image for more information.