Options
Directory \| Departments \| FAQ \| Links \| Site Map \| Help \| Contact Us

Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan

The current Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1979. In light of this, the City Council adopted a resolution on December 13, 2007 authorizing an Interim Update to the comprehensive plan, and directed the City Manager to study alternative approaches to future comprehensive planning.

Council Resolution on Interim Update and Comprehensive Planning Approaches(.pdf)

Planning Commission Resolution on Comprehensive Plan Interim Update (.pdf)

City staff has worked with the Council, Planning Commission, and citizens to create the Interim Update. The intent of this document is to update old maps and language in the plan. The update does not establish new policies, but instead includes policies related to comprehensive planning that have been adopted since 1979. On June 18, 2008, the City Council approved the Interim Update on first reading. A third reading and adoption by the Council may take place at thier November 6, 2008 meeting.

Interim Update

City Council Final Draft (.pdf)

All Changes to Chapter 2 for final reading (.pdf)

Proposed Staff Revisions to 1st Reading (.pdf)

Public Comments (.pdf)

Interim Update past draft documents (you may need to adjust your firewall and internet settings to read these folders):
Click here to view documents folder

The Draft City of Austin Growth and Development Policies 1979-2007 (.pdf) are not part of the Interim Update per se, but provide a useful guide to past policies.

New Comprehensive Plan

Funding for a new comprehensive plan is included in the adopted fiscal 2008-2009 budget. The City posted a Request for Proposal (RFQ) for a consultant to assist with the new plan on September 30, 2008. Other important dates:

November 3, 2008 - RFQ Responses due
January, 2009 - City Council expected to consider the consultant selection
February 2009 - City and consultant(s) reach contract
March 2009 - kick-off of new comprehensive plan effort

Comprehensive Plan Committee of the Planning Commission

This committee usually meets the first Tuesday of each month at City Hall to discuss and take action on Comprehensive Plan issues. Please check the City Home page calendar to confirm meeting times. The public is encouraged to attend these meetings. If you would like to be on the email list to receive meeting notices, email Paul.Frank@ci.austin.tx.us.

Meeting Notes are available by going here. Copy these documents to your computer before opening them.

Existing Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan

Livability is the principal theme that governs the City’s planning processes for land use, transportation and economic growth. Managing physical growth and preserving the environment are key components of the Council’s vision for Austin.

The oldest and most fundamental building block of our long-range planning is the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan (“Austin Tomorrow”) which was adopted in 1979 as a planning tool to guide development. The plan itself is required by the City Charter, which specifies that one responsibility of the Planning Commission is to “make and amend a master plan for the physical development of the city.”

Aspects of the plan are timeless. For example, the first goal of the plan is to “assure that the development of the urban environment is compatible with the unique natural and constructed features of the Austin area. The second goal is to “protect and improve the desirable image and character of neighborhoods and districts.” Clearly these two goals remain relevant in our community today. A few elements of the plan are dated. For example, Austin Tomorrow states that most new residential construction would be low density single family units, which is not in line with the discussions of high-density building that are common today. However, the City Council has the flexibility, in adopting neighborhood plans, to amend elements of the comprehensive plan that no longer reflect our policy strategies and priorities, and has done so on many occasions.

Austin Tomorrow was clearly intended to be implemented and ultimately, updated by a diverse set of specific plans and policies that would change over time. The City Charter also recognized this phenomenon, "The Council may also adopt by ordinance other elements as are necessary or desirable to establish and implement policies for growth, development and beautification within the city, its extraterritorial jusrisdiction, or for georgraphic portions thereof, including neighborhood, community or area wide plans."

The plan had to be altered slightly to put it on the website. Some of the pages were reformatted, and some decorative pictures were deleted in order to make the document smaller. As a result, some of the page numbers are different from the original printed document. None of the wording has been altered. If you would like to see the original printing of the plan, please visit your local library.

There are three (3) maps that are included in this plan. They are very large files, and must be downloaded from the City's ftp site.

1975 Land Use Map
Growth Areas Map
Environmental Development Limitations Map


	Austin City Connection - The Official Web site of the City of Austin
	Contact Us: Send Email or 311.
	Legal Notices \| Privacy Statement
	© 1995 City of Austin, Texas. All Rights Reserved.
	P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767 (512) 974-2000