Our goals for 2008
1. Influence and garner support for:
a. increased functional open space required for future VMU districts
b. increased pedestrian/bike connectivity within and beyond VMU districts
c. short-term and long-term solutions to traffic, including robust mass transit
2. Support NA's in removing VMU from properties that are not in a viable VMU district, or where additional planning is required to resolve site-specific problems.
3. Inform and educate our neighborhoods on urban planning issues.
Results
During our first year as an organization, Sustainable Neighborhoods helped to popularize the "town center" approach to mixed use in North Central Austin. We supported Allandale Neighborhood Association's successful request to remove VMU from the long, narrow parts of the Burnet Rd. corridor which are poorly suited to create vibrant, pedestrian-friendly districts, at least in the mid-term. We created visions for the two most promising potential town centers - at Burnet and North Loop and along Anderson Ln from Mopac to Burnet. We supported North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association in winning a commitment for minimum open space at The Village VMU redevelopment on Anderson.
Our members have also participated in the one-year review of the Commercial Design Standards and VMU ordinance, where we have pushed hard and with some success to make people aware of the risk of mixed use development on corridors like Anderson if they are not supported with adequate open space to create a truly pedestrian-friendly environment.
We have reached out and provided feedback to other groups as well, including Envision Central Texas (ECT), Liveable City, the Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the City Parks and Recreation Department.
In November we made presentations on the critical value of open space throughout a mixed use district to our neighborhood associations, thereby laying the groundwork for our 2009 "Room to Live" open space initiative.