Join Envision Central Texas on Friday, October 6, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Woodward Hotel and Conference Center for a thought-provoking seminar entitled Changing Demographics in Central Texas: Riding the Wave or Wiping Out. The Central Texas Region is growing and changing. If forecasts prove true, in 40 years, our region’s population will grow to more than 2 million and be older, less educated, less affluent and have a dramatically different ethnic makeup. Are there steps that we can take today to “ride the wave of change” rather than letting it overwhelm us? During this seminar, we will:

• Examine the implications of forecasted trends,
• Encourage thoughtful discussion of how these trends may impact our community’s fabric, and
• Collaborate to develop actions to positively address those impacts.

Dr. Steve H. Murdock, State Demographer of Texas and the director of the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research and the Texas State Data Center at The University of Texas at San Antonio, will be the keynote speaker. His presentation paints a compelling picture of demographic forecasts and the tremendous impact they will have on our region. Then, participants will choose one of four breakout sessions to engage in more in-depth discussions about concerns and possible actions.

A special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Spansion, whose generous support has helped make this event possible!

If you want to know more about what the future holds and the implications in our region on critical issues such as education, jobs, mobility, development patterns and the health of our social fabric, you’ll want to be sure to attend this seminar. To register online, visit the Event Calendar at www.envisioncentraltexas.org or call Diane Miller at 512.916.6037. Individual Tickets are $25; Sponsor Tables of 10 are $350 Continental breakfast is included. Seating is limited, so register now!

If current population growth and land use trends continue, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) forecasts that in 2030 congestion in our region will be worse than it is today - even after spending an anticipated $23 billion on roadway and transit improvements and operations. Therefore, in an attempt to improve this outlook, CAMPO is working with public and regional partners to develop a 2035 Regional Growth Concept that will help coordinate future transportation and land use planning in the region and guide transportation investments.

When they adopted the CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan in June 2005, the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board directed staff to explore alternative future growth patterns in 2035 that would improve transportation and regional quality of life and would integrate the information from the Envision Central Texas (ECT) scenario planning effort. The ECT preferred development pattern focuses much of the future population growth in walkable activity centers within existing communities and distributes employment growth more evenly throughout the region. The ECT study findings, as well as many national studies, have demonstrated that this type of focused development pattern can reduce the negative impacts of development, increase the efficiency of the transportation system, and shorten commute times. The 2035 Regional Growth Concept will look at ways of encouraging the development of future "activity centers" where they make sense for our region.

The 2035 Regional Growth Concept has great significance for our region and our ability to preserve our quality of life in the face of continued high growth rates. Public involvement and input on the Regional Growth Concept is critical and we urge you to get involved! CAMPO is hosting a series of public workshops, as well as an online survey, to explain the concept and gather feedback. Workshops will be held during the evenings of September 13, 14, 18 and 19. Visit CAMPO's website for details on meeting times and locations, as well as a link to the survey. Don't miss this opportunity to positively impact Central Texas for decades to come!

Elected officials and agency heads with jurisdictions along the SH 130 corridor were convened recently by Kirk Watson, former mayor of Austin and state senatorial candidate, to discuss how we can best address the challenges and opportunities that SH 130 brings to our region. The conversation continues the dialogue begun at the SH 130 Summit hosted by Envision Central Texas in November of 2005 about the implications of the roadway and related development along this corridor.

Watson invited the group to engage in a deliberate, focused discussion on what goals local jurisdictions have for the roadway, what challenges they are likely to face and what tools they will need to face those challenges in the coming years. He articulated a four-step process to support the group’s efforts:

• Analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats associated with SH 130 and with regard to the planning for it;
• Identify priorities for actions or necessary tools to enhance or cope with the changes that 130 will bring;
• Identify the products that will help the group achieve their goals and address their challenges;
• Plot a course for getting the necessary tools and products, determine who else needs to be involved in the process and decide who is going to be responsible for what we plan.

There have been two meetings of this group this summer and monthly meetings are planned for the fall. There is broad agreement that SH 130 will bring massive change and that it is important for leaders to work together to assure that this change brings about positive results for current and future residents.

United Way Capital Area (UWCA) has recently undertaken the Community Agenda Project (CAP), with the long term vision of developing a coordinated “community agenda” outlining health and human service priorities for the region through the study of data and the engagement of key stakeholders. UWCA initiated this process late last year when they engaged the Ray Marshall Center to conduct research to assist and inform the development of the CAP. They first collected and analyzed existing regional data on the state of major health and human services issues, indicators and demographic trend. Next, through a series of focus groups and surveys, they gauged the perspectives of major stakeholders across the ten-county area regarding major issues, root causes, solutions and prospects for health and human services.

The CAP aims to establish an understanding of health and human service issues facing communities in Central Texas and promote opportunities to build or enhance relationships and partnerships. The work done to date is not meant to be an exhaustive community needs assessment but does provide helpful insights into critical areas of concern that appear repeatedly in communities. The results of this effort will be used to determine the focus of United Way's resources and investments, and will serve to continue relationship building in the region. United Way has formed a team of the leaders of several other regional organizations, including Envision Central Texas, to collaborate on exploring and expanding the ideas uncovered in this research. You can review the key findings and learn more about CAP by visiting UWCA’s website.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is hosting the 5th Annual Conservation Development Symposium on Thursday, August 31, and Friday, September 1. This year's symposium will focus on the economic benefits of conservation development featuring speakers such as Jim Heid (founder of UrbanGreen, LLC) and Harold Teasdale (developer for Jackson Meadow). Travis County’s proposed conservation development ordinance will be discussed and much more. For more information and online registration, visit their website.

Austin has been selected by the Congress for the New Urbanism as host of their 2008 annual conference. This is an high-profile event that will bring hundreds of talented people to our region to discuss innovative approaches to planning and design. Stay tuned for more on this in the months ahead!

We'd like to hear from you! Each of our newsletters contains information about people, projects, processes or events that are helping to positively shape growth in our region and preserve our quality of life. If you would like to submit an article or news about an event for consideration in an upcoming ECT newsletter, email dmiller@envisioncentraltexas.org with the details.