I am in Austin until next week but my morning posts will continue.
This is an amazing city with a rich history that is going through some major growing pains thanks to a huge influx of new residents. Austin’s population grew by 21 percent to 961,855 persons over the last decade.
“The Four Biggest Challenges Austin Will Face In The Next Decade”
- Transportation Infrastructure
- Low Unemployment
- Rising Housing Prices
- Keeping Austin Weird vs. Letting Austin Grow
And, lately, new laws in Texas have been getting a lot of attention.
But I want to focus this post on the beauty of this city, particularly its downtown area.
Yes, lots of construction. Cranes in every direction. The city is expanding exponentially.
What strikes me most, however, is the vast amount of green space, open jogging trails, walking and bike paths, parks and other communal areas right in the heart of it all.
— Green City Times —
10% of Austin’s land is designated for parks, urban forestry, and other open, green spaces. The City of Austin has not only dedicated much of its land to parks; Austin also has plentiful green areas around freshwater lakes, rivers, and springs. Most prominently, these include Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Zilker Park, and Barton Springs.
Whether it be early morning, after work or a recreational Saturday or Sunday, one can witness a steady flow of joggers, bikers, dog walkers and Austinites just out for a leisurely stroll.
I see this and I wonder if Baltimore is capable of creating something like this.
The new owners of Harborplace have sought the public’s input on what to do with the space at the city’s famed Inner Harbor. It used to be a wildly popular tourist attraction back in the day until Baltimore’s gun violence and high crime rate scared many suburbanites away while the pandemic pretty much decimated its downtown clientele.
So…what to do with this prime space?
I don’t think anyone believes another retail-type tourist attraction is the answer. And while Baltimore has a fair number of lovely city parks within its borders, the downtown area is practically all concrete. Open recreational spaces for residents and visitors are needed.
A good start would be at Pratt and Light Streets.
