 |
OVERVIEW
R/UDAT Austin, begun in 1989, continues well into the
Twenty-first Century as a work in progress. The question Austin
asked in 1989 was, “What can be done to revitalize our
downtown?” The R/UDAT Austin results now apparent in 2006 are
based on the solid foundation laid by the community and the
assigned AIA team .
The R/UDAT program for Austin is one of the most effective outreach
programs of the Institute. From R/UDAT Austin, three major benefits
resulted: a focus on critical issues by the collective community; a
gathering of the leadership to address a defined task; and the
city’s adoption of a corporate sense of possibility that in
planning, the citizens could make a difference in the life of their
city.
A city measures time differently than do individuals. We
individuals measure time in the span of a lifetime, a generation, a
year, an election cycle… A city on the other hand can and does
measure its life in decades. Action taken today by a city can yield
results in ten or twenty years, so for a city there must be a
willingness to take the long view and with confidence know that the
return for that effort will be realized in time.
Rabbi Tarfon, the Third Century sage said, “Do not shrink from
a task, which by its very nature can never be completed.” The
life and development of a city is one of those tasks without
end.
Back to top
Dowtown Austin across Town Lake
Photograph: Patrick
Wong
BACKGROUND
About R/UDAT
Since 1967, the American Institute of Architect’s
Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) program has used a
grassroots, charrette-style approach to help create livable
communities. R/UDATs combine local resources with the expertise of
nationally recognized professionals to assist cities in dealing
with specific local issues. The team conducts an intensive four-day
workshop onsite, engaging all members of the community in creating
a vision for the future. To date, 138 R/UDATs have been completed
in communities throughout the United States and Canada.
Back to top
PROCESS
Challenges
In late 1989, Austin’s downtown was in the economic doldrums
following the failure of the Savings and Loan industry and the
general economic decline across the United States. Retail had
substantially left the central city, the office vacancy rate was at
the highest nationally for any metropolitan area and the downtown
residential community was limited to a few separated apartment
units and several twenty year old condominium units.
In Austin, it was the time in which Joel Warren Barna published his
economic history The See-Through Years, recording the
period in Texas cities when the new high-rise buildings built at
the peak of the S&L frenzy were effectively transparent. With
no tenants one could “see through” the buildings, from
one side to the other.
Opportunities
In his wisdom, Pike Powers, Austin attorney, former Chair
of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and passionate supporter
of the city, urged Austin to apply for a Regional/Urban Design
Assistance Team to help the city define the urban core issues and
give direction to the future growth of the central city.
The City of Austin had its municipal public sector projects on the
boards but all were on hold as the economic decline had taken the
spirit out of the City for undertaking new major capital
initiatives.
Hon. Lee Cooke, then current mayor, adopted the recommendation
and initiated a citywide effort to apply to the AIA for a R/UDAT to
direct Austin in a focused study of re-vitalization of its
downtown. The sucessful application, the team visit, and two
subsequent returns by the team have influenced downtown
Austin’s present and future.
Downtown Austin 1989
The Application 1989-1990
With the knowledge that any success would depend on broad support
from the community, the Application was jointly sponsored by the
Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, The City of
Austin Planning Department and the Greater Austin Chamber of
Commerce. The initial local planning team selected Nan McRaven,
well known business executive, and John Nyfeler, AIA, architectural
practitioner, as Co-Chairs of the Austin R/UDAT initiative.
The core planning committee simultaneously began an aggressive fund
raising effort in order to produce a credible application to AIA,
and raised $50,000 to write, support, and publish the required
application.
Knowing that success both in the application and in any follow-on
R/UDAT effort would depend on public and private sector
endorsement, the committee secured written resolutions, letters and
endorsements from the City Council, the Travis County
Commissioners’ Court and several departments of the State
Government in addition to many businesses, non-profit agencies and
the State’s flagship institution of higher learning, The
University of Texas at Austin.
The application, a 140 page synopsis of the City’s central
core, described the assets and liabilities of Austin’s
downtown, access and transportation, urban form and features,
residential environment, downtown housing market, and business
environment. The application described previous urban planning
efforts, current private projects and public sector capital
improvements.
The application clearly documented convincing support
from a wide range of governmental and private sector groups,
businesses, educational institutions, political advocates, service
agencies, the metropolitan transportation authority and
neighborhood associations.
The Interim
Austin received favorable response to the application and
fortunately, in their wisdom, the National AIA R/UDAT
representatives decided that a one year wait for the right Chair of
the team was important to the Austin success. Charles M.
“Chuck” Davis, FAIA of Eshrick, Homsey, Dodge and Davis
of San Francisco was the designated leader for the Austin effort.
Perhaps no other decision was more important to the exceptionally
beneficial Austin result.
The twelve month wait for the arrival of the team allowed for the
necessary local fundraising for the teams’ visit and its work.
The year’s time allowed for the local team to clearly define
the areas of interest, staffing of sub-committees, planning for
logistics and strengthening of the public support.
Local media--newspapers, television and radio—supported R/UDAT
with editorials and news articles. This spread the excitement over
the opportunity for Austin to take steps to influence the future of
the city.
A significant key to the Austin R/UDAT success was the organization
that took place during the one year wait. The social service
agencies, the neighborhood associations and the faith community
also prepared to be active participants in the planning during the
Team’s stay in Austin.
Palmer Events Center across Town
Lake
Photograph: Patrick
Wong
The Visit
In January 1991, The R/UDAT Austin visit captured the imagination
of the city with substantial publicity and broad public
participation. The effort focused on what might/should/could be
done to revitalize the dormant life of the central city.
The issue topics included: 1) Organization, Management and
Marketing; 2) The Built Environment; 3) Markets and Economic
Potentials; 4) Transportation; 5) Human Services; and 6) Regulation
and Governmental Policies. The planning team viewed the downtown
strengths and weaknesses and the implications of current
trends.
The team was composed of the most skilled specialists in their
respective fields, tailored to Austin’s issues, and
included:
• Charles M. “Chuck” Davis, FAIA and Chair,
architect and planning consultant
• Robert Burke, AICP urban planner of municipalities in
private practice and in academia
• Thomas A. Gougeon, expert in municipal economic
development
• James Murray, Ph.D., a specialist in public finance and
economics
• Daniel Ocasio, AIA, an architect experienced in
transportation and housing
• Richard Ramsey, landscape architect and park planner
• Elizabeth “Holly” Stabler a consultant in retail
management and organizational development in downtown
associations
• Paul David Sehnert, expert in urban design and economic
revitalization.
In its work, the team received public testimony from the citizens,
and as is Austin’s habit, the people testified for three hours
past the allotted time, provoking Chuck Davis to remark that the
people of Austin are afflicted with “terminal
democracy”.
In its Report, the team left clear, concise guide lines for
implementation, steps and actions, improvement of the built and
natural environment, priorities, transportation, and government
policies.
The Report of the team, made a gift to the citizens of Austin, was
presented to the City Council by the Chair, Chuck Davis, FAIA. The
report contained specific recommendations in each of the issue
areas and made strong suggestions on ways to strengthen the
linkages among the downtown and the State Capitol Complex and the
campus of The University of Texas at Austin.
Sketch Plan by Chuck Davis, R/UDAT
illustrating possible development
of the southwest quadrant of Downtown.
Then President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate, Hon. Wilhemina
Delco, Austin, African-American legislator, said that, “Austin
should be inclusive and not exclusive,” and the team concurred
that, “There must be recognition of the interdependence of the
minority communities and that investment in one requires it in the
other and that both support each other.”
No recommendation was more important than the report’s
insistence that a downtown management organization, a form of
public improvement district, be created to be the voice and
advocate for Austin’s downtown.
Implementation, 1992
Given the R/UDAT Report in January 1991, the Implementation
Committee effectively used the months to May, 1992 to develop a
specific, concrete implementation plan to accomplish R/UDAT
recommendations.
Pressed into service as Chair, Lewis Wright, Vice President of The
University of Texas at Austin and former senior military officer,
organized the implementation effort into assigned sub-committees:
Urban Design, Natural Environment, Economic Development,
Transportation, Finance and Downtown Management Organization,
Cultural Arts, Community Issues and Transition.
Over two hundred individuals spent the sixteen months preparing
detailed recommendations and plans and laid the groundwork for the
public and private sectors’ efforts to benefit Austin’s
downtown. The resulting document became the adopted policy for the
City Council and the political platform for local political
candidates. The implementation proceeded.
The R/UDAT Report and Implementation Call to Action became the
source document for County and State understanding for
Austin’s downtown vision.
The Call to Action was used for a five year period and the city
benefited from the credibility of the work resulting from a wide a
range of citizen input.
In this period the Downtown Management Organization, since re-named
the Downtown Austin Alliance, was created along with a public
improvement district (PID). Austin workers secured the
consent of the downtown property owners for this voluntary taxing
district, and the City Council chartered the PID and set its
geographic limits.
R/UDAT Revisited, 1997
Procedurally, what marks the Austin R/UDAT as distinct is that
after a five year period following the implementation report, and
with much progress having been made in achieving the goals of the
first effort, the original R/UDAT was invited back to assist in A
Call to Finish, a report card on what the city had accomplished
since the original R/UDAT visit.
Based on the interest of the then mayor Hon. Kirk Watson in the
Smart Growth Program, and his adoption of the R/UDAT Plan as his
political platform for the further development of downtown, a three
day city-wide event calling together the community re-addressed the
downtown issues and refocused on the work that was left to
do.
The citizens of Austin again worked in the six opportunity areas:
1) Organization, Marketing and Management, 2) Natural and Built
Environment, 3) Markets and Economic Development, 4)
Transportation, 5) Community Issues, Arts and Human Services; and
6) Regulations and Government Policies.
The Re-visit celebrated the successes and re-emphasized the
fundamental objectives on which the original report was based
including the principle that success is based as much on benefit to
the minority communities which abut the downtown as it is on
economic well being of the downtown businesses.
Vision Statements for each of the elements laid out a continuing
work plan for private and public sectors which kept alive the
original energy.
2nd Street retail district.
Photograph: Patrick
Wong
R/UDAT Review 2000
Nan McRaven, original Co-Chair of the R/UDAT, said at the
beginning, “Austin has a good downtown. We want it to be a
great downtown.” In 2000, Austin engaged in R/UDAT Review
2000, Creating a Great Downtown.
With the three original sponsoring entities with Downtown Austin
Alliance supporting the urban planning effort, Chuck Davis, FAIA,
R/UDAT Chair, and Tom Gougeon, of the original team, were invited
to again return to Austin and give guidance to the city’s
advancements in achieving the goals set in 1989 and through the
ensuing years.
With support of Mayor Kirk Watson, the community again addressed
issues of Downtown Mobility, Environment, Linkages, Community and
Smart Growth. The three day symposium yielded a 25 page document
which set goals for a following five year period.
Back to top
OUTCOMES
Austin Resource Certer for the Homeless,
the ARCH
Photograph: Thomas McConnell, McConnellphoto.net
The results of the R/UDAT Austin over the fifteen years after the
application have been significant and continue today. The
initiative has been kept alive by the community with periodic
R/UDAT reviews and commitment to achieve the goals. For Austin the
measurable results already include:
• In 1989 the number of hotel rooms was 2,500, now the current
figure is 5,300.
• In 1989 there were 3,900 people living in downtown with the
City's supporting policies, now there are 5,500, with projections
to 10,500 in 2009. By the end of 2005 there were eleven new
residential projects completed with sixteen in the pipeline for
approval in 2006.
• In 1989 the ad valorem tax base in downtown was $600,000,000
now it is $2.4 billion.
• In 1989 there were 7.5 million s.f. of office space
downtown; we have added a million to 8.5 million s.f.
• There is now a City Council initiative to develop a new
Downtown Plan based on the R/UDAT work.
• The Downtown Austin Alliance has created an award winning
television show on the vitality of downtown, running on PBS
broadcast to the sixteen county central Texas area.
Since 1989 the projects accomplished include, completion of the
convention center, then doubling its size, design, building and
occupancy of the new city hall by AIA Gold Medal winner Antoine
Predock, FAIA, new Hilton convention hotel, two other downtown
flagship hotels, two major city parking garages, corporate
headquarters for Whole Foods, CSC, GSD&M, construction of the
new performing arts center, Second Street Retail District, Texas
State History Museum, Austin Resource Center for the Homeless
(ARCH) and other infill projects.
Town Lake Hike and Bike
Trail
Photograph: Patrick Wong
City Council has adopted Great Streets as the city’s policy
for any downtown development. The R/UDAT has stimulated the further
development of the Town Lake Park and hike and bike trail system
including the new Pfluger pedestrian bridge across the lake. A
policy move from one-way to restored two-way streets has been
adopted.
A real accomplishment is that Austin has not lost sight of those
elements not yet finished. Downtown Austin is one of those works
that Rabbi Tarfon described; a task which by its very nature can
never be completed. From the original R/UDAT report with all its
accomplishments, Austin has not yet put in place the light
rail public transportation system, the recommended detoxification
center or the elimination of the physical and cultural barrier
that is Interstate Highway 35. R/UDAT has helped Austin keep these
issues on the table for the community to yet accomplish.
The AIA’s R/UDAT program has been the foundation of
extraordinary successes in Austin. Surely some of the beneficial
growth in its downtown might have happened in any case but not
at the rate, or on the basis of such broad community endorsement
nor with such coordinated, cooperative governmental effort.
The success of the Austin experience is based on several
factors:
• Broad support by community leadership
• Clarity of fresh vision from outside eyes
• Thorough documentation and a clear record
• Creation of a supportable, palatable political agenda
• Setting goals that all can endorse
• Showing the benefits to all community groups
• Keeping traditional opponents engaged in common
objectives
Austin has experienced these benefits for over fifteen years.
Former Mayor Kirk Watson says: "There's a big difference
between a taxpayer and a citizen." The R/UDAT program is
easily the most successful when citizens love their city.
Back to top
RESOURCES
Austin, Texas: Wikipedia Entry
City of
Austin
Austin Downtown R/UDAT Redevelopment
Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team
Program
View Communities by Design Built Works: Austin TX R/UDAT (requires Google Earth)
Find Communities by Design Built Works: Austin TX R/UDAT (Google Maps)
R/UDAT Built
Works:
- Moose Jaw, Canada R/UDAT
- Salt Lake City, UT R/UDAT
- San Angelo, TX R/UDAT
- Springfield, IL R/UDAT
|
