Our Goals:

  • Cultural Rediscovery: Engage with the Cultural Network and the community to rediscover Austin's cultural identity, values, and traditions.

  • Equitable Development: Advocate for policies and initiatives that promote equitable access to resources, opportunities, and services for all residents.

  • Sustainable Practices: Integrate sustainable practices into urban planning and development to ensure a resilient and environmentally conscious future.

  • Community Empowerment: Empower residents to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their neighborhoods and quality of life.

  • Cultural Preservation: Preserve and promote Austin's cultural heritage and landmarks while embracing innovation and progress.

Our Approach:

Phase 1: Research and Partnership

Phase 2: Development and Engagement

Phase 3: Storytelling and Mapping

Phase 4: Collaboration and Advocacy

Phase 5: Outreach and Evaluation

Ongoing Initiative: Cultural Census

Projected Outcomes:

  • List and Visualize Austin's Values: Develop visual representations of Austin's cultural identity based on survey results and community insights.

  • Comprehensive Understanding of Needs and Gaps in Cultural Programming

    Gain a deep understanding of the requirements and gaps in Austin's cultural community to create and connect effective programming, such as defining what an Arts District means for Austin and identifying the essential elements it needs to flourish.

  • Gap Analysis and Implementation Report: Outline cultural, equitable, and sustainable development gaps and provide actionable recommendations.

  • Cultural, Health, Resilience, and Economic Impact Studies: Highlight the benefits and drawbacks for local businesses and the community, focusing on cultural and economic impacts.

*These WILL Change depending on the community’s needs.

The Importance of Understanding Austin's Culture

  • We must understand what our communities value and what kind of experience is expected.

  • It's essential to know how Austinites expect to be treated and what is needed to improve their quality of life.

  • Low community and human capacity, exhaustion, and engagement fatigue must be acknowledged and addressed.

  • The role of Austin's creative ecosystem in shaping our identity and building community and cultural resilience.

  • We need to identify cultural spaces and public places (past and present) that are significant to Austin's heritage and understand why.

  • The challenges newcomers and tourists face in understanding Austin's cultural identity must be explored.

  • We should document cultural practices and traditions integral to Austin's identity, which must be preserved.

  • To develop a framework that capitalizes on the values of the creative sector to sustainably address broader city challenges such as climate change, equity, and affordability.