A new report shows the need for Central Texas counties and cities to invest in their Latino populations.
Syeda Hasan reports: "Hispanic families in Central Texas don’t have the same opportunities to access health care, employment and early childhood education, according to a new report [pdf] from the Austin Community Foundation."
The report examined data on Latino residents from Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Burnett, Caldwell and Hays counties. "They found the average per capita income in Central Texas is around $32,000, but for Latino residents, it’s about half that amount – just more than $17,000 a year," explains Hasan.
In addition to listing more of the report's findings, the article also surveys regional political leaders and advocates for insights about quality of life among Latino populations in Central Texas.
Notably, Hasan also describes the report as timed to coincide with the ongoing CodeNEXT process in Austin, which will rewrite the city's land development code. Austin City Councilmember Delia Garza is quoted in the article expressing her hope that discussions will move away from "protecting" neighborhoods. In Councilmember Garza's own words: "I think we should be protecting neighborhoods from fires and bears, maybe….But frankly, protecting neighborhoods has become a little bit offensive to me because what are we protecting them from? Families? Houses?"
FULL STORY: Report Finds Gaps In Economic Opportunities For Hispanic Families In Central Texas
Toll and Tax, or Just Tax, to Pay for Highway Expansion?
A political decision by the Texas Transportation Commission last December to drop projects which included toll lanes was thought to doom 15 road expansions from their 10-year capital plan, but some will go forward with HOV as opposed to HOT lanes.
Breaking: Austin Moving on from CodeNEXT
The city of Austin's ambitious process of rewriting its Land Development Code has lost political support.
Austin Reminded to Be Respectful While Debating CodeNEXT
A call for civility amid the great zoning debate in Austin, Texas.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service