Only 60% of residents currently live within a 10-minute walk to a park, and the amount of green space varies greatly throughout the city. At APF, we feel a critical responsibility to invest in, and maintain our parks for future generations in every area of the city. We believe our public parkland should be preserved and maintained. We believe all …
Austin Parks Foundation and its partners recently sent a letter to Austin City Council outlining the needs of our park system that should be addressed in the city budget process. This advocacy by APF and 15 partner organizations is in preparation for the City Council voting on the next fiscal year’s budget in August. Parks funding comes in large part …
The virtual open house for work along Mopac South is happening between now and January 7th. This looks to be the only opportunity for public comment before Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) reveals their preferred alternative sometime in 2022. The project goes through Zilker Park, and there is potential for CTRMA to pay for parking in Zilker Park by …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Every five to six years, Austin voters have been asked whether or not they will approve the city to issue general obligation bonds. These bonds fund capital improvement projects in areas such as parks & open space, cultural centers & museums, libraries, fire & police stations, affordable housing, stormwater infrastructure and transportation. The Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) is …
By Elizabeth McGuire In one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, a team of stewards is working to preserve their park and to inspire others to follow suit in their own neighborhoods. Three leaders of Friends of Shipe Park—Jill Nokes, Alison Young and Mark Fishman—have worked with Austin Parks Foundation and countless volunteers to keep Shipe a vibrant, healthy, resilient …
Great Austin Parks is a coalition of environmental groups that advocates for increases to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) budget. Coalition members include: Austin Parks Foundation, The Trail Foundation, Keep Austin Beautiful, TreeFolks, Shoal Creek Conservancy, Pease Park Conservancy, and Austin Metro Trails & Greenways. PARD has been a favorite target for budget cuts for decades. When the good …
