In collaboration with WRT Design, Studio Balcones served as the local subconsultant for Austin’s Long Range Plan: Our Parks, Our Future. This citywide parks assessment project serves as a guide to Austin’s future land acquisitions, capital improvements, and new programs and amenities for 2020-2030. It was funded in part through contributions from the Austin Parks Foundation and was adopted unanimously by the Austin City Council in 2019.
Throughout the process, Studio Balcones and WRT assessed 150 parks, taking extensive inventory of park conditions and amenities, as well as trends in demographics, industry standards and engagement. During this assessment process, Studio Balcones participated in a number of planning meetings or open houses, where the public was invited to provide valuable input. In a city that is rapidly growing, Our Parks, Our Future serves as a vital assessment of Austin’s parks and a pivotal step towards strategies for Austin’s future development of public space.