Advocacy Update: Help Us Protect Austin’s Parkland

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×Hey there! COVID-19 has changed how we do things, and your safety is our priority. Please keep social distancing best practices in mind if you choose to visit parks, trails and green spaces. Thanks, y’all!As many of you know, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) has been working with our City Council allies and other advocates to ensure Austin’s land-use and development …

2019 Recap: Volunteers, Ribbon Cuttings, Playgrounds, Oh My!

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2020 is here. Austin Parks Foundation is gearing up and excited for a big year of connecting Austinites with high-quality parks, trails and green spaces. In 2019, we finished the decade with thousands of volunteers, increased park funding and more ribbon cuttings than ever before. Thank you, Austin, for helping us improve parks across our city.10,500 Volunteers in Austin ParksIT’S …

Election Day Tips + Voting to Help Austin & Texas Parks

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Voting season. It’s here, y’all. Whether you’re voting early or heading to the polls on Tuesday, November 5th, we’ve created this helpful guide to make your trip a success! Added bonus: you can make a difference with your vote for both Texas State Parks as well as parks, trails and green spaces in the city of Austin! Where to Vote …

Code What? A primer on the new land development code & parkland dedication

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UPDATE: What’s happened with the LDC since October? A lot has happened since we first updated you on Austin’s ongoing efforts to revise its Land Development Code (LDC). In December, Austin’s City Council approved the new, proposed LDC on first reading. It takes three readings of the new LDC in order for it to ultimately pass and be adopted. Second …

Austin City Council’s 2019-20 Budget: A Big Win for the Parks

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On Tuesday, September 10, the Austin City Council formally adopted a budget for the City’s upcoming fiscal year beginning on October 1st. The budget process, which kicks off in earnest with community engagement in the spring and the release of the City Manager’s proposed budget in early August, saw significant increases for parks from beginning to end. Why is that, …

What’s Going On With Parks Funding and the City Budget?

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Each August, City Hall watchers are treated to City Council returning from recess and beginning arguably their most important task. What’s that, you might be asking yourself?  The answer is crafting and adopting the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. Early each August, the City Manager presents to City Council and the public their proposed budget. This stage is both the culmination …

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Play Your Part: Leave No Trace in Austin’s Parks

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Hello, Texas Summer! ⁠As temperatures increase, park usage does too, so it’s even more important to make sure we clean up after ourselves in our parks. After Memorial Day, unfortunately, lots of Austin’s beautiful greenspace was left in a mess, which makes it much harder for others to enjoy and for the city to maintain! As Austin Parks Foundation pushes …

Austin Ranks 43rd In Park Access, Down One Spot from 2018

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May 21, 2019 – The Trust for Public Land just released their rankings of the 100 largest cities’ parks. Austin moved down to 43rd from 42nd in 2018. Austinites will agree that our parks are one of their favorite parts of living in Austin, but the reality is our parks are vastly underfunded. Our parks don’t meet the needs of …

Taking Care of What We’ve Got: Important Maintenance in Austin’s Parks

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Memorial Day is just around the corner, and that means it’s time for picnics in the park, hanging by the pool, and all the outdoor fun that summer brings. To have all of that fun though, our parks and pools need to be taken care of. A perfect example is the Barton Creek Greenbelt, an Austin favorite, that will be …

HB 2 & SB 2 Are Bad For Austin’s Parks, Trails and Green Spaces

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Simply put, House Bill 2 & Senate Bill 2 (or HB 2 & SB 2) are bad news for Austin’s public parks. In exchange for small property tax relief for homeowners estimated at a few dollars per month, municipalities will face a budgetary crisis. The bill will cause an out-sized negative impact towards their ability to provide services central to …