And it has significantly increased bus ridership, public open space, affordable housing units, and the number of public trees. Smart Growth is an effort to reshape urban and suburban growth to enhance Austin's communities, strengthen the economy, and protect the environment. The city's Smart Growth Initiative includes a number of proposals to help manage future growth. It was developed by a subcommittee of the Austin City Council in conjunction with a larger Focus Group drawn from the Austin community. The CPC was a group of key civic leaders appointed by the City Council to examine issues of growth and development in the Austin area.
Every citizen is a stakeholder.
The Smart Growth Initiative seeks to involve as many interested parties as possible to make decisions about how neighborhoods, the city, and the region will develop in the future. The city is a major stakeholder in establishing a framework for managed growth. The city has the responsibility to listen to the needs and desires of the citizens of Austin and integrate those with the larger issues of the long-term health of the community, the economy, and the environment. Protecting the character of existing neighborhoods through neighborhood planning. Protecting environmental quality by preserving sensitive environmental features and encouraging efficient development patterns.