Will Austin lose its character as the area grows? (Houston: transplants, condo)

[Jaipur]

I am really scared that is going to happen. I am a 8th generation Austinite, my family built Bremond square, another side used to have a farm on what is now congress avenue. I have always felt so relaxed here more so than in any other city. But if the lifestyle that is currently "Austin" is diminished I am afraid I will no longer feel so much so and I will have to find a new place to live. I don not really want to believe that this is going to happen in my life time but as quickly as Austin is developing, it will.

[austin-steve]

This is happening to America in general. I hate it. If you drive across the country, sometimes you can't tell where the hell you are, unless there's something very distinctive, like skylines, mountains etc...

I think as Austin grows, it has become more homogenous, less unique, though its many good qualities remain as compared to other similar cities across the country.
I think it will continue to change. I'm not making a judgment about whether it's good or bad, because you can go to any point in time in most cities and there wetre people who said it was "better" 20 years earlier.

But Austin isn't a sleepy little college town anymore, nor was it destined to remain that forever.

Steve

[southdown]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I think as Austin grows, it has become more homogenous, less unique, though its many good qualities remain as compared to other similar cities across the country.
I think it will continue to change. I'm not making a judgment about whether it's good or bad, because you can go to any point in time in most cities and there wetre people who said it was "better" 20 years earlier.

But Austin isn't a sleepy little college town anymore, nor was it destined to remain that forever.

Steve

Places don't have to get worse just because they get bigger. Many towns and cities I have lived in Europe have 'urban sprawl' but it just looks and feels better than it does here. They somehow manage to retain the character in the centres, and keep out the chains, or at least keep them subtle. The 'high street'/shopping centres will have all the big box stores, but they don't feature as the only view from every single highway.

Yes there is a McDonald's in central Rome but it's not blindingly obvious. Huge signs and ugly parking lots just aren't permitted in many European towns, the planning authorities keep a check. There needs to be more control over building and business placement here, it's really not that difficult - unless people just don't care how their environment looks and feels.

[HappyTexan]

I agree with you southdown in that there needs to be more control over building and business placement with an emphasis on architecture of the buildings to keep with the style but sadly that is not happening. The chains and big box stores have their own style that don't mesh with the older towns here although some towns have done a good job of regulating it. I don't think Austin is one of them.

[love roses]

Hutto was doing a good job of it, but now they are looking at revising the sign ordinance. Hopefully, they still will keep it from being too obnoxious.

[socrates1234]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

If the developer is from Dallas, it'll be a chain soon. I swear there are more chains from that town...Chili's, Flying Saucer, Fado's, Cantina Laredo, etc.

Dallas sometimes seems like a alien spore egg from the first Alien movie that keeps on sporing gooshy eggs, but in the guise of franchises....A replicating alien spore that oozes multitudes of franchises...

[socrates1234]

Originally Posted by southdown

Places don't have to get worse just because they get bigger. Many towns and cities I have lived in Europe have 'urban sprawl' but it just looks and feels better than it does here. They somehow manage to retain the character in the centres, and keep out the chains, or at least keep them subtle. The 'high street'/shopping centres will have all the big box stores, but they don't feature as the only view from every single highway.

Yes there is a McDonald's in central Rome but it's not blindingly obvious. Huge signs and ugly parking lots just aren't permitted in many European towns, the planning authorities keep a check. There needs to be more control over building and business placement here, it's really not that difficult - unless people just don't care how their environment looks and feels.

No zoning in Austin, just like Houston..

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by socrates1234

No zoning in Austin, just like Houston..

There's zoning in Austin.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

There's zoning in Austin.

And lots of it. If a city wants to create suburban sprawl, it need only follow Austin's model for driving builders and developers out to the edges through expensive and time consuming perimtting processes.

Steve

[love roses]

But no zoning creates a mess as well. Another thing I didn't like about living in Houston.