ca p ta l city Spring Ezine 2019 ISSUE 1
“There’s a freedom you begin to feel the closer you get to Austin, Texas.” – Willie Nelson Photo courtesy of healthinsurance.org
Unedited cover image by vbelleblog.com
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TABLE OF Letter From The Editors
Iconic Buildings Downtown
Liora, Caroline, Owen and Nathan
Nathan Sheu
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Liora, Caroline, Owen and Nathan
Austin’s Population Surge
City Made By Nature
Nathan Sheu
Liora Susswein
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Meet the Editors
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10
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CONTENTS Congress Ave. Then & Now
Exercise in Our City
Austin’s Gentrification: Who & Where
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:
Owen Brown
Liora Susswein
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Staying Fit in Austin
Our Gentrified City
Owen Brown
Caroline Stone
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Caroline Stone
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M E ET
the
EDITORS Owen Brown is a freshman at LASA who loves to play basketball. He enjoys listeing to A Boogie in his spare time. He has a younger brother and two older sisters. His favorite memory in Ezine is going outside and playing basketball when they finish their assignment early in class.
Owen Brown
Nathan Sheu
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Nathan Sheu is a freshman at LASA and loves to play basketball and listen to Kendrick Lamar in his free time. When he grows up he is going to be Batman. Nathan has an older brother. His favorite memory in Ezine is watching Cheenu annoy Owen in class. His favorite NBA basketball team is the San Antonio Spurs
Caroline Stone loves to play soccer and ultimate frisbee in her free time. Caroline’s favorite band and singer is Billy Joel and ELO. When she grows up she wants to be a teacher/coach of some sort. She has an older brother who is a freshman in college. Caroline’s favorite memory in Ezine was when her computer acted up the day her features story design was due.
Caroline Stone
Liora Susswein likes to draw and is about to finish up her fisrt year at LASA. Liora’s favorite singer is Bill Joel. When she grows up, she hopes to pursue a career in graphic design and/or journalism. She has an older brother who is a junior at LASA. Her favorite time in Ezine was when she started to design her pages in her groups magazine.
Liora Susswein
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LETTER the
from
EDITORS
From when we were just introduced to our topic, to editing the final pages of the magazine, all of us have been very exited and passionate about the creation of all of these pages. We chose the topic of Austin, Texas because there is so much information to share since the city is so unique! We hope that once you have read the seperate spreads we have all worked very hard to create, that you learn something new about Austin. We would like to thank our classmates, Ms. McGuire, and our interviewees for providing us with information and advice to help us with the construction of this magazine.
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Clipart Courtesy of PinClipart. Issue 1| 9
au st i n 's population surge Citizens of Austin have expressed their concerns involving their city. By Nathan Sheu
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Austin Metro Bus departs from the bus stop. Photo Credit: Spencer Selvidge
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numerous issues such as an increased amount of traffic and limited electricity and water supplies. The traffic in Austin has evolved into a major issue for the city that has ripped valuable hours from time with their families. This has been a problem, especially for citizens who have lived in Austin their entire lives like Dave Read, “Austin has grown to the point now where it’s so spread out that it needs a mass transit system,” Read said. Mass transit systems have proven effective in cities such as New York and Chicago, allowing people to move freely throughout the city without having to own a car or any type of personal transportation. An improved mass transit system would increase the movement around the city correspondingly decrease the traffic.
“[Austin] wasn’t built for this many people...the population of Austin doubles every 25 years” Fred Cantu, a prominent CBS reporter said, “You’re talking about a city that was back in the ’60s about 250 thousand people...and it kept growing and growing and we’re at more than a million people now. Just think about the fact that in another 20 years or so, there will be two million people here.” Many people agree with Cantu about the population dillema in Austin. The consensus among many Austinites is that the recent growth of the city has changed their way of life and that the Austin culture isn’t the same as it used to be. “I just can’t see us moving around with 2 million people on the streets,Cantu said. “Something needs to give if we are going to move that many people around in this city.” The growth of the city has inspired
t is not a secret that Austin has changed in recent years. From the skyline to the suburbs, everything about Austin has grown and evolved to fit the modern profile today. However, many people have been posing the question about how the recent population growth has affected Austin today. When Austin was founded in 1839, it was built for a small community of people. Since it’s foundation, the city of Austin has been increasing at an exponential rate. However, many of Austin’s citizens argue that this unprecedented growth in recent years is negatively affecting the city. Many of them believe that the growth of the city has set off a domino effect of problems.
Fred Cantu takes a selfie in front of the Texas capital. Photo Courtesy of Fred Cantu
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“ I spend a lot more time sitting in traffic now than I did 30 years ago,” Read said. “I think that Austin is becoming borderline too big...I would prefer Austin stabilize and stop growing because I don’t think that growth brings us anything good.” Traffic is not the only issue emerging that is concerning Austin citizens. Recent issues with water and electricity which have been surfacing due to the increased population of the city. “We found out last year when we had to boil our water when we had a problem with the pumps,” Cantu said. “That’s something Austin may struggle with, making sure that Austin has enough water for the future.” An example that Cantu uses is how San Antonio buys water from Rockdale and pipes it down from up north. San Antonio has a high demand, but 12 | Captal City
a low supply of water, which concerns Cantu since Austin may be in a similar predicament in the future.
“Our area only has so much water for a certain number of people, and if the population is going to double soon, we are going to wonder how we’ll get water for all of these people.” - Fred Cantu The growth of Austin has been debated among many of Austin’s citizens in recent years. Some dispute over the fact that the growth is benefitting the city
since it is increasing the tech scene in Austin and modernizing the culture of the city. Others argue that the growth is destroying the culture of Austin and driving out the people that originally lived here. “I think that the growth of the city is going to have negative effects as it does in any city. Matthew Odam, a food critic for the AustinAmerican Statesman states, “as the city becomes more and more expensive so that people who lived here for a majority of their life could wake up and they can’t own land because the property taxes went up.” With over 150 people moving into Austin every day, the cost of living and property prices are bound to increase along with the population. Odam argues that as the housing costs increase, many people who lived here initially
Traffic Jam on IH-35. Photo Courtesy of: Texas Monitor
may be driven out of the city by people lined with fatter pockets. The increased property costs aren’t just affecting Austin residents, but many local businesses and restaurants as well. The food scene in Austin is seen as iconic in the entire country and to have local restaurants that have been here since the 1900s close due to increased property tax, is creating yet another problem. “If you look at the growth rates in Austin restaurants, there are some smaller restaurants in Austin that should be getting more business than they are, and some bigger corporations are moving into their habitat as well,” Matthew Odam said when asked about the changing food scene in Austin. The exponential population growth of Austin is not only saturating the market with a more diverse selection, but
it is also driving away local businesses that have been here for years. Odam believes that the local businesses created a communal and cultural aspect around Austin, and is strongly against those restaurants closing down. Austin has become an extremely attractive city for many families who are considering moving. The booming tech scene provides great jobs, a prettier outdoor scenery, and more entertaining attractions. These aspects of the city have put Austin on the map and created a “cool” stereotype surrounding it. When asked about why Austin was growing so fast, Dave Read said that “when you have this employment scene in Austin where there’s just more and more...jobs available, the cost of living and the outdoor environment and the music;
there’s a lot of people [that] move here just because they heard it’s cool.” These characteristics of Austin are what is fueling the growth and modernization of the city. However you may feel about the city, the growth of Austin is inevitable. Despite our different connections to the city, we all must admit that Austin is changing. In just a few centuries, the place we call home went from being built for a small community to a city that inhabits over a million people. Although everyone may have different opinions on the changing of the city, we must focus on the future of Austin: how we can make Austin a better city as a whole.
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I CO N I C b u i l d i n g sDowntown THE BEST ARCHITECTURE IN AUSTINS SKYLINE By Nathan Sheu
360 Condominiums Height: 581 feet tall
The 360 Condo skyscraper is the fourth tallest building in Austin and serves as a luxury condominium downtown.
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The Independent Height: 690 feet tall
The Independent is the current tallest building in Austin. Dubbed the “Jenga Tower”, the Independent opened in Spring 2019 and is a luxury residential building.
One Eleven Congress Height: 397 feet tall
The Austonian
One Eleven Congress, formerly the One Congress Plaza, is an iconic building known for it’s pyramid design. The building is owned by Cousins Properties and serves as an office space.
Height: 681 feet tall
The Austonian is currently the second tallest building in Austin, and is a luxury residential complex downtown.
Frost Bank Tower Height: 515 feet tall
The Frost Bank Tower was built in 2003, and is the fifth tallest building in Austin. The Frost Tower is unique with it’s glass design and looks like an owl according to many locals.
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c i t y m a de
by nature
Image courtesy of Trpisavvy.com 16 | Captal City
By: Liora Susswein
How nature played a role in the creation, plan and growth of Austin.
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he gravel roads of downtown Austin are lined with towering glass buildings to one side and a magnificent lake to the other. During the hot summer days, the sun hits the tall structures just so and casts a luminescent reflection in the lake below. The delicate balance of nature and architecture work together to create our individual city. As the borders of Austin, Texas expand ever wider, the city itself still maintains its natural charm. The landscape and overall scenery plays a role in creating such a unique city. Nature has played a factor in the unparalleled appearance of Austin and continues to as it expands. Planning a city is a daunting and grueling
process. Urban planning, in particular, is quite a challenging profession. It is a “ very complex set of legislation, policies, economics, and investments that create the city that we have” Professor Fernando Lara, a professor of Urban Planning at the University of Texas at Austin said, “so it’s the legislation that the policy is and it’s the market forces that make up in the city as it is.” People have been planning cities for over 6,000 years. From ancient Rome to modern metropolises, urban planning is what makes towns function. Along with having operative laws and bills when founding a municipality, a layout is also a key aspect. The layout of a city is another
way to keep the expanse as a whole organized. The grid system we see in many modern cities is a common blueprint that is used when planning city streets. Austin is a spectacular example of this original grid system, especially when it comes to the downtown core that was planned in the 1800s. Along with this grid system, nature played a huge role in creating downtown Austin. As the original town was being planned, Waller, the original city planner “used the Colorado River as the southern border in the original city plan,” Austin History Center employee Rusty Heckaman said, “The two creeks, Shoal and Walnut Creek, [were used] as the East-West borders and the land
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that rested in between them [and the surrounding Hills] is kind of a natural plateau. It rises just slightly too, [and
Austin is quickly expanding. In the past, the south was relatively empty with minimal growth or population. This is
Created in 1840 by Waller the origional plan of Austin, Texas is housed in the Austin HIstory Center. Image provided by Austin Histoy Center. was] originally intended as the Capitol Hill… [Though,] downtown has changed a lot... it is still the original downtown [area] as planned.” When Austin was first planned in 1840, the environment acted as the city borders. Even with the growth of Austin, the original city blocks have not grown out, but instead, up, this is due mainly to the natural features. As Austin expands, it is the suburbs that grow out rather than the core of the city. Currently, the south side of
because of the river, located between north and south Austin. Once again, the nature of Austin has played a role in how the city functions. To try to adapt to the river, the people of Austin instituted “a number of bridges constructed to allow for transportation but [they were not very reliable].” Heckman said. “The pontoon bridges and the wooden bridges were built and the fairies...existed [as ways to get Austinites to the south]. The first really reliable bridge that
The capital of Texas stands tall in the center of downtown Austin, looking down Congress Avenue. Image provided by Faces Places and Things- Photography Blog. 18 | Captal City
existed was a steel truss bridge [constructed in] the late 1880s to the early 1900s, and the Congress Avenue Bridge was built in 1999 and allowed for the more steady flow of traffic into south Austin.” The rivers bordering downtown were and still are, some of the largest natural barriers preventing Austin from expanding. The construction of bridges was one way that the people of Austin have attempted to work around natural obstacles. Throughout Austin’s history, there have been many attempts to alter nature. For example, to control the ebb and flow of the Colorado River there have been dams placed all along the water. There have also been many additions to nature, like planting trees. Without these human additions to the environment, Austin would have a fairly barren landscape, much like the rest of central Texas. “If you look at [a map of Austin] a lot of green areas [corespond to the wealthier areas],” Lara said. “You can see where the rich people live by the accumulation of trees that area so, [in] satellite photos and you [look at Austin, you can] see [the lower-neigborhoods] clearly by the absence of trees.”
The drastic environmental differences between the East and West side of Austin are an example of how the initial city plan of downtown Austin did not prove true when Austin grew and expanded. As you get further and further from the downtown core, the grid system begins to dissipate and the neighborhoods become increasingly asymmetrical. Of course, this seemingly improvised aesthetic outside of urban center is part of what makes Austin look so unique. Outside of the downtown area, parts of Austin can be “kind of a weird, quirky little pocket.” longtime Austin resident, Adam Kruger said “[Some of the neigborhoods] I just couldn’t make... Not being able to lay something out a real solid grid system just makes things kind of more interesting to look at.” The unique plan of Austin and the outstanding
nature are two of the many features that make Austin so physically incomparable. Another huge facet to the
natural materials used in Austin’s historical buildings give them-- and the city as a whole-- an individual exterior. Of the historic buildings and their material, the “most [evident is] the state capital [that] was built with primarily local resources,” Heckman said, “the limestone was mined out of southwest Austin, out of [the] Convict Hill, Oak Hill area. The exterior granite was from [the] Granite Mountain and Burnet area, so that’s all reflective of natural resources in Austin.” Within Austin, the usage and attention to the environment are quite astounding. The nature found in the city has truly shaped it to be what it is today and will continue to influence it as the population grows. Overall, the manmade and natural environment of Austin has proven to be an asset to the city rather than a liability. The people within Austin also appreciate this nature and are working hard to be conscious of it as the city expands.
“Kind of a weird, quirky little pocket. [Some of the neigborhoods] I just couldn’t make... Not being able to lay something out a real solid grid system just makes things kind of more interesting to look at.” - Adam Kruger individuality of the town is the buildings. The natural materials that some of the initial architects used is what provides a unique exterior to some of the historic buildings around Austin. The
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congress ave.
then & now
By Liora Susswein These are lines to the city of Austin trolly system. The light rales were installed in the 1890’s and were in use until the 1940’s
Looking down Congress Avenue in the early 1900’s
House drawn carrages were a very common mode of transportation in the early 1900’s. Infact, in the mid 1800’s, stagecoaches were some of the first forms of public transporation in Texas.
Image provided by Austin History Center 20 | Captal City
In 1853 the second Texas State Capital was built, (the first being a small log cabin), it then burned down in 1881. Then, the third capital finished construction in 1888 and is still in use today.
One Congress Tower is the 15th tallest building in Austin, Texas. It was constructed in 1987 and has been a staple of Austin ever since. The Frost Bank Tower is a 33-story tower built in 2003. It was the tallest building in Austin until 2007 when the Austonian was built.
Looking down Congress Avenue in 2012 Congress Avenue is the streach of road leading up to the capital in downtown Austin. Cogress Avenue is one of the centers of culture and life in downtown Austin.
Information provided by Austin History Center and Austin Government Database.
Image courtesy of glimermirror.com Issue 1| 21
stay i n g f i t
in Austin By: Owen Brown
Austin residents enjoy town lake and the trails bordering it. Photo courtesy of Julia Robinson
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WHY ARE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN SO HEALTHY?
Y
ou are standing on the startline, stomach racing, knowing that all of your training has led to this moment. What was originally just a passion turned into competing. You know that what comes after the gun will be some of the most grueling running you have ever done, only hoping that all the time spent training will be worth it. However, no matter your placing you know that finishing is all that matters.
Whether it be early in the morning or late at night, no matter the time of day, you will always be able to find someone out running or exercising. People in Austin can often be seen running on trails, working out at gyms, playing in parks, or swimming in public pools. With many young people moving to Austin, it is often to be considered a young town. Austin is a beautiful city with expansive parks,
long trails and bodies of water. These all contribute to the Austin population in many different ways. “We have great weather here for the most part it’s very rarely is it cold,”John DeLaPaz, the owner of Austin Simply Fit said. “People are out there being active they’re outdoors. There are lots of parks. So it’s very encouraging for people to be outside and doing so it just creates more of an active lifestyle.” Issue 1| 23
People spending the day at Zilker Park. Photo credit: wikipedia.com
The weather is also a big factor in Austin’s active lifestyle. On average the lows in the winter will get down to about 40 degrees while on average it may only get as hot as 96 degrees in the afternoon in the middle of summer. Austin is filled with outdoor areas where exercise and the beauty of nature are both very accessible. These parks are a very big part of the Austin aesthetic and community. Daniel Fuentes, a track coach at McCallum High School, said that many students run on the team because of their love for running not necessarily because of their athleticism. In Austin there are many student runners that participate in events all Austin locals kayaking on Town Lake. Photo credit: rowingdock.com
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around Austin. From a young age, running can be a form of exercise, fun, or escape. These students are known to compete in local races as well as UIL meets. Many of these runners contribute greatly to the new generation of Austin Runners, they graduate high school and continue their active lifestyle. “Well I think a that a big part about Austin being so fit is that it’s a very young town, and that there are so many natural conduits, like there’s a 10 mile trail in the middle of town,” Iram Leon, the president of the Austin runners club said. “we donate to the trail foundation every year. There are so many natural places where it is just so good to out running in the middle of town without having to stop for traffic. We
also have the Greenbelt, but overall there are just a lot of incentives for getting out and being active in Austin. Whether you want to pay for a membership at a gym or do your own thing, there are so many ways to stay fit.” The natural outdoor areas are a large contributor to Austin’s fitness. However, being a runner, Leon was able to insight into the incentives many runners see in Austin such as the trails in the middle of town. All around Austin you can find beautiful lakes, rivers, creeks, and pools. Almost all year-round you can find people swimming in one of these many locations. One of Austin’s most iconic pools, Barton Springs Pool, a natural spring turned into pool, always has people
swimming in it due to the fact I met some of my best friends this way and even more than that I met my wife.” For many people, “I’ve been here running offers so much pretty much my more than just exercise. whole life and I think They are able to make friends that can help having access to stay consistent with their exercise. The Austin water the way we Club provides do, instantly people Runners so many connections that want to go out on are vital for an active and healthy lifestyle. the lake,” -John “But what they can DeLaPaz get here is that we will push them through a work out that normally by
in Austin. They provide individual or small group training. These gyms hire high energy trainers who
Iram Leon running a marathon. Photo credit: AzulOx
can
provide
specialized
Daisy 5k run. Photo courtesy of Josh Baker
that it always staying the same temperature. These lakes or rivers alongside rental services provide people in Austin many ways to get out on the water. “So each week more people show up because they want to be a part of what we have going on here,” Leon said. “Some days before runs we go out to breakfast or do other social things. And honestly, those social events are what bring everybody back each week because they give you the opportunity to connect to so many new people. In fact,
themselves they would stop and take breaks,” DeLaPaz said. “Here you have a trainer monitoring you, and
workouts to their clients. For many people in Austin, a gym is a very good place to consistently get good workout.
Coming from very different perspectives on Austin’s fit John DeLaPaz community, everyone seemed to agree that Austin is full of Photo credit: people trying to stay active Austin Simply Fit and healthy. These people help contribute to Austin’s overall aesthetic, and help they know you, and they may encourage more people to see you breathing heavily but get outside and be healthy. know you can pull through.” Austin Simply Fit is one of the many gyms here Issue 1| 25
ex erc i s e Owen Brown
in our city
Different ways to stay active in Austin.
Austin is full of active, healthy people. With resources offered by Austin, here are options that could fit you.
Credit: David Johansen
Go to a Gym!
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Experience high intensity, personalized workouts at one of Austin’s many gyms.
Pickup Soccer!
Play pickup soccer in Austin year-round with accessible
indoor and outdoor fields. Photo courtesy of Lonestar Soccer Club
Walking! Go outside and enjoy nature by yourself, with your dog, or with your whole family.
Photo courtesy of freefuninaustin.com
Swimming!
Image courtesy of ausntexas.gov
Go Swim at one of Austin’s great public pools like Barton Springs or Hamilton Pool. Issue 1| 27
Two woman stand outside a local liquor store that will soon go out of business on July 3, 2015. Courtesy of Ralph Barrera of the Austin American Statesman.
our g en t ri f i ed city
By: Caroline Stone 28 | Captal City
How gentrification has shaped the appearance and cultural character of Austin.
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herever you live in Austin, it is likely you drove by or live in a neighborhood that has houses owned by low-income families that have lived in this city for generations. Sadly, the majority of those houses are planning to be transformed into parking lots, or the future homes of other people that don’t represent Austin culturally. The displacement of Austinites, caused by gentrification, is occurring in at least four districts in Austin, but many don’t know that their own
neighborhood is vulnerable to this issue. It is very important to distinguish gentrification from displacement before diving into this issue that is occurring in Austin. Gentrification, seen as both good and bad, is often defined as a process that involves renovating and improving housing in neighborhoods by means of the influx of more affluent residents. Some upsides to gentrification are the fact that it can raise property values for the people already
living in the neighborhoods, and new shops/ restaurants can open up as a result. The renovations and people moving in are what cause displacement: forcing people (typically of lower income) that have lived in these neighborhoods for many years to move involuntarily. Daniel Llanes is a local East Austin cultural dancer and activist. He cares a lot about Austin keeping its culture no matter how many people with the wrong ideas move here in the city. “The nongentrified
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areas embody the organic homegrown culture that Austin has” Llanes said. An example of gentrification bringing negative effects to Austin is the fact that the displacing of Austinites can possibly lead to neighborhoods losing their cultural character. A place that has been targeted many times and has been gentrified in the past is East Austin, where Llanes often spreads his words. As wealthy developers commercially exploit the majority of East Austin, this so called “trendy” area the city becomes unrecognizable; the racial diversity is being lowered and the homeless population is rising. The University of Texas Gentrification Report states that if gentrification were to continue, everyone involved needs to ensure that the cultural communities and the racial diversity are not
affected. “I think there is a caricature that everyone moving to Austin are these rich, high paid tech bros, moving from the bay area to work at Google or Dell,” said Wegmann as he recalls the misconceptions on who specifically is moving to Austin, “there is that, that is happening for sure. I think what gets kind of lost is the fact that poor people are also moving to Austin... I think it’s too simple to say everyone moving here are wealthy. There are also people moving here that don’t have a lot of money and they are here because they think Austin is a better place to live,” Wegmann said. Jacob Wegmann studies housing development, and gentrification. While all of these local homeowners are losing their homes, one would
Four siblings join together after being evicted from their home located in Valle De Rio, Austin on April 7, 2017. Courtesy of Latino USA.
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hope that the people in charge would do something. There have been some past efforts enforced on displacement and gentrification by the Austin
“The nongentrified areas embody the organic homegrown culture that Austin has” Daniel Llanes government. In 2015, the local government suggested that the Austin Independent School District (AISD) should make their surplus land parcels (or any extra property they withhold) in use of affordable housing through ways of partnerships and land swaps. “The governments could… hav[e] certain commercial spaces be owned by non profits or by the city of Austin. This allows the commercial tenants to pay lower rents, which might allow them to serve certain community needs; they can’t serve them when the rent prices are shooting up,” Wegmann said. One of the most significant actions Austin has done for vulnerable Austinites is the Homestead Exemption. The Austin Homestead Exemption was created on September 1 of 2011, and is where local homeowners can reduce their property taxes by 8% just by proving that they
are a homeowner. District Eight Austin City Council member Ellen Troxclair stated that the reason the Act was created was to “show the middle class, the average homeowner, that we care about them and are listening to their pleas when they tell us they can’t afford to live in the city anymore,” Troxclair said. The middle and lower class was definitely grateful for their new tax rights, but it wasn’t enough. Displacement stayed at roughly the same rate as it was before the Act was introduced, lasting from 2010 to the beginning of 2018. A recommendation that was discussed by the Austin Planning Commission was sent to the City Council that considered raising the tax reduction from 8% to 10%. This was accepted by the City Council, and the new Homestead Exemption was presented in Austin. “The increase of the exemption, and then the raise of tax levy, will have the effect of transferring a portion of the tax burden from homeowners to commercial property owners,” Mayor of Austin Steve Adler said once accepting the new Homestead Exemption. That tax reduction policy was beneficial for the vulnerable homeowners, but I think we all hope that was something we could do to completely eliminate the effects of the gentrifying and
displacing of people in Austin. Sadly, there is not one specific thing that can be done by the city of Austin to prevent the effects. Completely stopping gentrification and displacement is similar to solving climate change. There is not one single effort that could be done to completely wipe out the global warming of earth, but small things can be done by
dubious needs, not to families looking to remain in their communities they have lived in for generations,” Zaragoza said, “Use city resources to purchase aging housing stock at risk of redevelopment and secure the units for residents with historic ties to the community, this will then ensure the cultural character is not affected”. That was
As more people move to Austin and displace locals, some of them express their feelings through means of graffiti. Sign located in Sendero Hills, Austin. Courtesy of Eduardo Gonzalez.
humans to stall the time, such as stop polluting, composting, recycling, etc. “Stop promoting the demolition of old houses and apartments by granting increased development rights. Use existing city land to build low income housing that is then sold to those interested in returning to their old communities. Require real, verifiable, affordability when granting new land entitlements to developers. Often affordability programs produce only very small units that are rented to single individuals with
Nuria Zaragoza’s opinion on what specifically we could do to slow down the effects of gentrification. Nuria Zaragoza worked on the Austin Planning Commision for 4 years and voted on issues regarded Austin housing and infrastructure. Those proposals suggested by Zaragoza can help solve Austin’s gentrification problem. This will cause Austin’s outward appearance look more culturally appropriate, and more of itself. Issue 1| 31
AU ST I N'S By Caroline Stone
WH O & WH E RE ?
Who in Austin is being displaced? People of Color
Neighborhoods of black and hispanic populations are losing their cultural character as prodominatly white and wealthy people move into their homes and displace them. 32 | Captal City
Adults Without a Bachelor’s Degree
Most displaced peoples do not know of various homeowner’s property rights and certain information regarding gentrification that are needed in their current situations.
Low Income Renters
Though lowering property taxes significanltly help local homeowners, it also raises property tax value for landlords; this costs Austin’s renters even more money.
What parts of Austin are effected? Districts of Austin All information provided by the UT Gentrification Project, Jacob Wegmann (UT Architectural Studies), and The Austin Tenants Council.
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Interstate 35
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bl a r ne
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As seen in the gentrification map, a majority of the gentrified areas are located from Northeast to Southeast Austin (districts one, two, three, four, seven, and nine). In spite of many years of intensive gentrification in these areas, disadvantaged populations remain in these areas. Issue 1| 33
The Austin 6th Street Mural Photo Courtesy of: Fun Free in Austin