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Austin Public Health staff to seek more bond money

Austin Public Health facilities are funded through bonds approved by Austin voters – and only through those bonds. If the city health department needs a new facility, it must convince members of a bond advisory committee to put the proposition…

Icon Homes prepping smaller home printing tech to meet Austin's infill push

Austin-based 3D-printed home manufacturer Icon Homes has plans to use new building technology created specifically to take advantage of the city’s push for smaller infill homes. After speaking at a South by Southwest panel last week focused on the push…

Housing panelists examine what's worked in Austin, and across Texas

At a South by Southwest panel discussion last week on housing policies in Texas, City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison shared possible new components of the “agrihood” housing-plus-agriculture approach she championed last year. While sharing her views on steps the city…

Plans to demolish Highland Park home with links to Commodore Perry faces backlash from neighbors

The owners of a West Austin property formerly home to the grandson of Edgar Howard “Commodore” Perry may find their plans to make way for new construction prove more challenging than expected. Last week, the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously…

Urban Transportation Commission criticizes I-35 frontage road plan

The Urban Transportation Commission on March 4 unanimously passed a resolution strenuously recommending against the Texas Department of Transportation’s plan to widen Interstate 35 frontage roads downtown. The resolution specifically addressed the Central Austin project, which covers an 8-mile section of…

Texas won’t offer a program to help feed kids over the summer. Advocates push for change next year.

About three dozen states plan to participate in a federal program that helps families pay for groceries over the summer. For the second year in a row, Texas – which has the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the U.S.…

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SXSW panel looks at national housing shortage – and how Austin is responding

Cities across the nation are facing the same housing crunch that Austin has spent recent years trying to correct, with a new report from Realtor.com showing a gap of 3.8 million houses and apartment units across the country. Those findings…

Technology Commission approves FY 26 budget recommendations to address digital equity

Austin’s Technology Commission unanimously approved five recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, based on a digital needs assessment, to address digital equity in Austin including funding for affordable devices, expanded public internet access and increased digital skills training for…

Austin Energy Green Building program logs 21,573 projects since its creation

In 1991, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first rating system in the country to evaluate the sustainability of buildings, creating a model for other cities and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system.…

Watson warns of Austin's 'budget asteroids' in speech to real estate council

At last week’s annual address to the Real Estate Council of Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson stressed a number of “budget asteroids” the city could face as a result of upcoming state and federal policy decisions. Along with the potential impact…

Council decides against historic zoning for Running Rope Ranch

Despite strong statements of support for historic zoning from two of the newest members of City Council at last week’s meeting, fewer than half of the Council members voted in favor of designating a portion of the property known as…

Prompted by convention center controversy, Council seeks changes to public art program

In response to increasing scrutiny over Austin’s handling of public art, City Council voted Thursday to modernize the Art in Public Places program by updating policies to prevent mishandlings like the controversial deaccessioning of artwork at the Austin Convention Center.…