Austin Great Public Spaces Call to Action

A Call for Great Public Spaces

  We, the undersigned citizens, declare our commitment to the value, creation and ongoing improvement of great public spaces in Austin.  We want, need, and are committed to work toward an interconnected network of well-designed outdoor spaces that are welcoming and well used by all.

  Great public spaces are in constant creation. They are created through thoughtful design, then recreated and brought to life daily by the people who use them. We make them great through our art, music, food, games, children, and so much more. 

  Whether it is publicly or privately owned, a great public space is one that feels like it has no owner - one where every visitor feels invited to participate, enjoy, and become inspired by the space. They are places where we meet as citizens, neighbors, friends and family.  They are the cradles of our public identity that define the special essence of Austin.

  All parks should be great public spaces. But great public spaces go beyond parks to include plazas, courtyards, bridges, trails, sidewalks, bikeways, and the streets themselves. In a great city, public spaces are not islands. They are the very fabric of the city - a network to be enjoyed by all from oldest to youngest.

  We need great public spaces for their own sake.  We also need them because they support our community values. They physically connect Austin in ways that encourage us to walk, bike and get outside. They make the city both safe and fun for children and families. They provide wildlife habitat, visibility for our artist and musician communities, and places to buy and sell ice cream and trailer tacos. They underscore our connection to nature and to each other.

  Thus, we agree to make great public spaces a priority for planning, design, funding, and development decisions. We call for the same commitment from both the public and private sectors.  We offer no specific design manifesto; as with art, our tastes in great public spaces can be broad.  We believe in providing enduring spaces flexible enough to evolve over time - just as Congress Avenue, one of Austin's defining public spaces, has evolved through the eras of the horse, the trolley, the car, and beyond.

 We will manifest our commitment though ACTION:

*  Seeking out untapped opportunities to create new and renewed public spaces

* Calling for all new development projects to contribute to our great public space network

* Calling for all public expenditures and incentive programs to prioritize the creation of great and sustainable public spaces

* Re-examining existing parks and public spaces, to find and develop their potential

* Contributing our own time to help create, support, maintain, and fundraise for them

* And most importantly, by actively claiming and energizing our city through our performances, food, games, celebrations, and civic expression we enjoy in our growing network of great public spaces. 

Now, let's go out and play!