Healthy, Walkable, Green Design

currently to 18.3 persons per acre in the trend scenario. Additionally, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) would remain low at around .34 for new development in the trend scenario.

11 The Urban Agricultural District (Healthy, Walkable, Green Design)

11.1 THE VISION

Our neighborhood center incorporates agricultural systems, grows and optimizes existing ecology, and reimagines these systems within an urban framework.

Our vision for this site is one of significant land use change. This scenario would aim to preserve the general farming character of the community, and improve upon environmental outcomes for the site. We aim to preserve at least 15% of the land as prime farmland. Additionally, we aim to develop relatively dense, mixed use development along transit corridors.

East of State Highway 130, we imagine a vibrant landscape that intersects single housing and multifamily development, alongside agriculture to create a unique transect. The regions to the west and south of the site where other neighborhood centers have been identified would see increased housing development within this scenario. Specifically, single family housing and multifamily housing, with key areas set aside for commercial development, neighborhood parks, and civic land use. Surrounding these areas, we would see agricultural farming lands taking shape as neighborhood greenbelts. These agricultural landscapes would align with open space designated around creeks to act as green infrastructure and mitigation zones in the case of a flood. Between the two creeks on the eastern portion of our site, land use would transition from agriculture to single family to multifamily, an back to single family and agriculture. Essentially, we would utilize the organic forms of the creeks to sandwich multifamily units in between two rows of single family residences and farmsteads. This unique land use plan aims to integrate agriculture into the daily lives of residents.

Of course, this form would be complemented by a larger stretch of single and multifamily housing units just east of the highway. Additionally, a town center land use mix would occupy the area currently identified as Austin’s future neighborhood center. To the right of the highway, commercial districts, multifamily housing units, and open space would intermix within the site. To the northeast, the airport would be flanked by light industrial development, minimized to ensure the health and wellbeing of the landscape within.

Figure 19. Scenario 1 zoom

11.2 THE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTION STEPS

This ambitious plan would prioritize the following set of targeted goals, objectives, and action steps to would help bring this vision to life.

11.2.1 LAND USE

Promote resilient local food systems through reimagining agricultural land  Objective: All residents have access to healthy food from their local, neighborhood farms

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Action Step 1: Retain agricultural land in attractive, creekside locations and zone for smaller farms to promote a certain size and type of agricultural growth Action Step 2: Prioritize community oriented recreational spaces for neighborhood farmers markets

Objective: Build connectedness of the agricultural areas within our site o Retain 15% of land use as agricultural

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Ensure local farms are close to housing to encourage a community invested in their local agricultural systems

Develop compact and walkable communities

Objective: 50% of residents will be able to access their basic needs through walking and biking o Action Step 1: Revising parking requirements to promote walking, biking, and transit in the core of the neighborhood center

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Action Step 2: Develop new roads that encourage linear paths and improved connectivity for biking and walking

Objective: All residents will have access to common spaces to enhance community and build close grained diversity

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Incentivize development that is interconnected, and disincentive disconnected cul-de-sacs New developments must retain 20% of space for mixed use development

11.2.2 TRANSPORTATION

Cultivate opportunities for active transportation  Objective: Services (groceries, pharmacies, coffee shops, etc.) will be accessible to residents through via public transportation, biking, and walking

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Action Step 1: Leverage funding from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Public Improvement Districts

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(PID) to build connected street, sidewalk, and biking infrastructure Action Step 2: Improve streetscapes and infrastructure along activity corridors and at activity centers through

prioritizing urban design and utilizing form based code

Objective: Residents will have access to bikeable green infrastructure along the new creek based greenway o Action Step 1: Build multipurpose uses for paths next to the greenway site

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Action Step 2: Work with local environmental groups to sustain programming along the greenway to ensure residents will use it as a community center.

Figure 20. This conceptual section shows a diverse range of mobility options within one streetscape.

Prioritize public transportation  Objective: Residents within the Wells Branch site will be connected to Downtown Austin via public transportation o Action Step 1: Ensure connectivity with the future Green Line by developing streetscapes that encourage bus

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transportation, such as shady bus stops Action Step 2: Encourage connections from bus stations into neighborhoods through connected intersections

Objective: By 2030, VMT within the site will be reduced by 10%

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Action Step 1: Evaluate and redevelop parking regulations to ensure they balance the needs of various transportation options Action Step 2: Improve traffic calming tools and safety using complete street design (street trees, wide sidewalks) to encourage pedestrian needs are met

11.2.3 HOUSING

Uphold a shared community vision through communal housing  Objective: Connect housing to jobs, child care, schools, and retail so residents can gather around shared amenities

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Action Step 1: Develop residential neighborhoods that are connected to collective and shared spaces

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Action Step 2: Encourage amenities that focus on family and lifestyle choices in mixed use areas (like gyms)

Objective: Diverse groups of residents will feel at home in the Wells Branch Site

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Action Step 1: Allow a variety of housing types including rental and ownership opportunities for various types of residents (singles, families with and without children, seniors, etc) Action Step 2: Ensure neighborhoods are well connected with ample sidewalks, parks, and neighborhood mixed use districts

Encourage affordable and green housing options  Objective: Build affordable housing that can help meet Austin’s growing need o Action Step 1: Encourage public private partnerships to develop affordable housing

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Action Step 2: Balance homeownership and rental opportunities

Objective: New developments will reflect the sustainable values of the Wells Branch Community o Action Step 1: Renovate the existing housing stock to reduce utility and maintenance costs for owners and

occupants, conserve energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

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Action Step 2: Encourage green practices in housing construction that translate into energy-efficient homes

11.2.4 ENVIRONMENT

Provide green infrastructure and natural flood prevention to limit water runoff for new developments

Objective: Buildings at risk of flooding will be protected from the 50 year floodplain o Action Step 1: Rezone areas 1 mile from creeks to eliminate future development in the floodplain o Action Step 2: Develop a green infrastructure coordinating committee to determine best choices in landscape

architecture of the site

Objective: Residents will have the opportunity to develop sustainable systems on their properties and farms

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Action Step 1: Policies will incentivize rainwater collection systems and composting by reducing other utility bills Action Step 2: Agriculture in the area will establish opportunities for drip irrigation by utilizing the rainwater collected locally from neighbors

Ensure green space is accessible to all residents  Objective: All residents are within biking distance of a community park

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Action Step 1: Maximize the role of parks and recreation in promoting healthy communities and lifestyles by connecting them with biking and walking paths and leaving room for sports activities

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Action Step 2: Designate a space for parks at least 3 acres big in every neighborhood center

Objective: Neighborhoods incorporate a medley of green infrastructure options o Action Step 1: Retain native plant growth in landscape development

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Action Step 2: Improve opportunities for residents to own backyard chickens and perform beekeeping activities through relaxed regulations

Figure 21. This conceptual section shows the gradual change in population density starting from the open space, through farmland and single family housing, and to the dense core of mixed use development.

11.2.5 INFRASTRUCTURE

Enhance green infrastructure within the site

Objective: Create a green infrastructure program to protect environmentally sensitive areas

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Action Step 1: Develop land to disincentive allowed impervious cover. Action Step 2: Expand and strengthen water quality regulations to achieve non-degradation (through expanding

recharge zones and building in natural floodplains)

Objective: Integrate nature into the city o Action Step 1: Create transects that incentivize natural features such as rain gardens and natural drainage features

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Action Step 2: Build room for local parks that include opportunities for urban farming

Develop infrastructure that reflects the communal qualities of the site

Objective: Infrastructure is made accessible to residents involved in agricultural activities o Action Step 1: Utilities are developed according to Austin’s regulatory framework

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Action Step 2: Incentivize the use of sustainable and cost effective design features like rainwater harvesting, grey water irrigation, solar power, and energy efficient utilities

Objective: Agricultural land is connected to the remaining site

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Action Step 1: New roads align with local farms and agricultural development Action Step 2: Water, electricity, and sewage is developed in a way that aligns with multifamily and single family neighborhood developments.

11.2.6 ECONOMIC

Renew economic vitality through green jobs

Objective: 5% of jobs will support agricultural development and local food systems o Action Step 1: Develop space for workforce training through educational farmsteads where young residents can

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work seasonal jobs, residents can volunteer, and the community can interact with their local food system Action Step 2: Build options for farmers to purchase housing on a community land trust model, ensuring affordable options for this workforce, so that they may live in the community that they work in

Objective: 5% of jobs will utilize light industry to support production of efficient and energy saving systems o Action Step 1: Develop building space for workforce training to build materials such as solar panels and wind development for the neighborhood

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Action Step 2: Engage with the City of Austin to abide by Austin’s jobs plan in incentivizing development of job training programs

Ensure mixed use office space for economic growth  Objective: Retain 5% of mixed use development for office space

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Action Step 1: Incentivize offices that locate to Austin by advertising their future access to a vibrant community with live, work benefits Action Step 2: Retain office space in mixed use developments in areas located near land zoned for commercial development, parks, and civic centers.

Objective: Identify and invest in local businesses that center around environmental sustainability and creative technology

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Action Step 1: Simplify the development review process to yield responsive outcomes in small business permitting and development Action Step 2: Provide financial tax credits for relevant businesses that engage in sustainability to locate to this region

11.3 SCENARIO OUTCOMES

There are several outcomes of this site that make it unique in Austin’s larger context. The site would add about 40,000 people, and would fall at the high end for the population of a neighborhood center. How much of the land would remain undeveloped or would become urban agricultural land. Figure 22 is a future land use map for scenario 1.

Figure 23: Land Use under Scenario 1

Figure 22: Land Use Mix Under Scenario 1

In generally this scenario would provide several unique benefits as compared to the trend scenario. First, the scenario provides opportunities for single family housing and retains the housing types that exist within the site, while significantly building upon the number of multifamily units in the site. In all, 43% of housing in the Wells Branch site will be multifamily units, allowing for a diversity of affordability options that push the site towards reaching Austin’s affordable housing goals.

Second, the site will in general be greener and more environmentally sustainable. This scenario will see reductions in internal water usage (-69.9 G/day), waste water (-60.2 G/day), solid waste (-2.7 pounds/day), vehicle miles travelled (-8 VMT/day), and carbon dioxide output (-4.9 tons/year). However, some of these benefits are predicated on the usage of a medley of green infrastructure options within our site. Thus, if some of this green infrastructure does not get incorporated of these benefits may not be realized. Finally, this urban agriculture scenario will prompt the development of sustainable food systems. By allowing for the cultivation of crops within a local context and keeping most of the food within the local economy this design can prompt the development of more robust food systems. Figure 23 summarizes the positive outcomes of this scenario.

Figure 24: Positive Outcomes for Scenario 1

The limitations to the feasibility of the site include its cost in terms of green infrastructure. The costs required to realize the large amount of energy savings needed in the site would be massive. The large amount of population being added to our site in this scenario is also troubling. Undoubtedly, future growth will occur, however Austin should prioritize its infill development to avoid further decentralizing downtown. It is difficult to imagine a future that limits single family housing growth in this region. Our second scenario will address the future of the neighborhood where single family housing still remains dominant.