Urban Orgs. to Question City Council and Mayoral Candidates

Ten urban-minded organizations are combining forces to question City Council and mayoral candidates about their vision for Austin’s urban core.

Event details:

WHEN: Saturday, April 4th, 10 am – 1:30 pm
WHERE: St. David’s Episcopal Church @ 304 E. 7th Street

Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation to the event and can plan their trip using Capital Metro’s trip planner at http://www.capmetro.org.  Alternatively, paid parking will be available in the St. David’s garage.

A team of panelists from some of the sponsoring organizations will ask the candidates about such issues as economic development, the livability of the downtown neighborhood, public spaces, urban rail, and parking.

The organizations sponsoring the event are:

•    6ixth Street Austin
•    Alliance for Public Transportation
•    Austin Metro Trails and Greenways
•    Austin Parks Foundation
•    Austinist.com
•    Congress for New Urbanism (CNU)
•    Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA)
•    Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA)
•    Old Austin Neighborhood Association (OANA)
•    Rail4Real

Local urban activist Glenn Gadbois conceived the event.  “A vibrant urban community accommodates a variety of interests and requires a coordinated mix of policies.  The mix of organizations sponsoring this event reflects those realities,” Gadbois says.

Stacey Lashley, a downtown Austin resident, says she wants to know which candidates view downtown as a neighborhood, and not just an entertainment or business district.  “The shops, restaurants, and live music venues near me are great amenities.  But the success of downtown depends on it being livable as a neighborhood as well,” Lashley says.

Complimentary breakfast items and refreshments will be available at the event.