"BOOMTOWN" IS OUR SERIES TRACKING RAPID GROWTH ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...
AND THAT GROWTH COULD BE
IMPACTING OUR PARKS.. WHEN YOU ASK ANYONE WHAT THEY
LOVE ABOUT AUSTIN...
THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THEY'LL
MENTION THE OUTDOORS.
AND THEY AREN'T WRONG.
AUSTIN IS FILLED WITH PARKS AND
TRAILS...BUT IT
IS ALSO FILLING UP WITH PEOPLE
TOO.
TOO.
TOO. TORI
TOO. TORI LARNED LOOKED INTO HOW
AUSTIN'S POPULATION GROWTH HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE
PARKS
PARKS HERE... AND HOW LEADERS PLAN TO KEEP AUSTIN GREEN GOING FORWARD.
SHE JOINS US NOW. GOOD MORNING
TORI.
TORI.
TORI. AUSTIN IS A GREAT PLACE TO SPEND
TIME OUTSIDE. RIGHT NOW--IT RANKS 37TH FOR THE
BEST PARKS COMPARED TO
THE
THE TOP
THE TOP 100 LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY... ACCORDING TO THE TRUST FOR
PUBLIC LAND.
BUT THE CITY IS GROWING AT A
RAPID PACE...SO THE QUESTION
IS CAN IT KEEP UP?
<"A CITY WHERE THE GREEN GRASS
GROWS ON ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER...
AND THE CONCRETE JUNGLE GROWS ON
THE OTHER.
THAT'S AUSTIN....AND ITS GROWTH
IS A LOT LIKE A CHESS
BOARD.
WHEN ONE PIECE MOVES OR
CHANGES....
THE NEXT MOVE SHOULD ALREADY BE
IN SIGHT.
CITY LEADERS ARE TRYING TO THINK
ABOUT THOSE MOVES AS THEY
BUILD MORE SPACE FOR PEOPLE
MOVING TO THE CITY...
WHILE STILL PROTECTING THE HEART
OF
OF WHAT
OF WHAT MAKES AUSTIN--AUSTIN...ITS GREENSPACE. <
: YOU HAVE THE CITY LIFE, BUT
IT'S ALSO YOU'VE GOT LIKE THE
THE NICE
OUTDOOR, THE HILLS"
: "THEY'RE NOT JUST LITTLE TINY
PARKS. THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OPEN
SPACES."
WHETHER ITS TAKING IN THE SIGHTS
FROM ZILKER
PARK...PLAYING ON A
PLAYGROUND...OR GOING ON AN
ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GREENBELT... AUSTIN PARK FOUNDATION'S CHIEF
MISSION OFFICER LADYE
ANNE WOFFORD SAYS PARKS ARE MORE
IMPORTANT
THAN EVER...
ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND THE CITY'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS
TO HAVE A PARK WITHIN A
TEN MINUTE WALK FROM ANY HOME.
"WE REALLY IDENTIFY AS A GREEN
CITY, AN ENVIRONMENTALLY
CONSCIOUS CITY, A CITY THAT HAS
A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE."
BUT THE CITY'S INCREASING
POPULATION IS MAKING THAT
GOAL TOUGH--
WITH NEARLY 200-THOUSAND PEOPLE
MOVING HERE IN THE
LAST DECADE ALONE.
"MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY WILL
EVENTUALLY BECOME LOVED TO
DEATH."
ON TOP OF THAT...WOFFORD SAYS
THE CONROAVIRUS
PANDEMIC AND THE WINTER STORMS
HAVE MADE IT
DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE
TRAILS.
AUSTIN'S PARKS AND RECREATION
DEPARTMENT IS
SHORT MAINTENANCE WORKERS
BECAUSE OF
COVID...
AND EVENTS THAT FUND OR SUPPORT
THE PARKS DIDN'T
HAPPEN--LIKE THE AUSTIN CITY
LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL
"WHO OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS HAS
BENEFITED THE PARKS WITH OVER
FORTY ONE MILLION DOLLARS"
SO HOW MUCH MONEY DO THE PARKS
CURRENTLY
RECIEVE BEYOND DONATIONS? THE
NEW CITY BUDGET ALLOCATED NEARLY
30-
MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS PARK
PLANNING,
DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS. A
BOND ISSUE APPROVED BACK IN 2018
ALSO
ALSO PROVIDED 45 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUY PARK LAND. BUT ON TOP OF ALL THAT--RANDY
SCOTT, AUSTIN PARKS AND
RECS' PARK PLANNING PROGRAM
MANAGER SAYS
THE BIGGEST HELP COMES FROM
WHAT'S CALLED
PARKLAND DEDICATION.
: "IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY BOND
MONEY
MONEY OR
MONEY OR TAXPAYER FUNDING" THIS ORDIANCE CREATED IN 2016 REQUIRES RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENTS TO DEDICATE EITHER
MONEY OR LAND---
THAT WILL THEN GO TOWARDS EITHER
BUILDING AND IMPROVING
THE PARKS IN THOSE AREAS...OR
SECURING LAND
FOR FUTURE PARKS.
"WE GO THROUGH A NEEDS
ASSESSMENT. WE CREATED THIS GAP
ANALYSIS THAT TELLS US WHAT
AREAS OF TOWN DON'T HAVE PARKS
WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE"
WHILE REACHING CHECKMATE FOR A
PERFECT PARK
SYSTEM IS THE CITY'S HOPE...
THESE LEADERS SAY ADVOCATING FOR
SUPPORT AND FUNDING IS
IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW TO GET THEM
CLOSER.
WOFFARD: "I WOULD LIKE FOR
AUSTIN TO BE RANKED NUMBER
ONE IN ALL GOOD THINGS,
ESPECIALLY OUR PARKS."
AND THEY HAVE BIG PLANS TO MAKE
THAT HAPPEN.
SO IN THE MEANTIME--
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN---
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A NEW TRAIL
OR PARK MAY JUST
BECOME A WALK AWAY.">
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A NEW TRAIL
OR PARK MAY JUST
BECOME A WALK AWAY.">
PARK LEADERS SAY THEIR BIGGEST
FOCUS IS MAKING SURE PARKS ARE EQUITBLE ACROSS
AUSTIN...
AND THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT
OF RESOURCES TO
IMPROVING OR BUILDING NEW PARKS
IN EAST AUSTIN.
YOU CAN READ A LOT MORE ABOUT
THE GROWTH OF
AUSTIN'S PARKS ON KVUE.COM