Session 5: Policy Tools: Best Pratices in Public Space Strategies

Synopsis
The public sector’s traditional model of public space implementation – find some land and buy it – remains a valuable tool, but is an incomplete one in the era of urban infill and high land prices. Increasingly, cities are looking to density bonuses, public-private partnerships, design guidelines, and other strategies to build out their public space networks. This panel explores lessons from Boston, Denver, Round Rock and other cities to seek out and evaluate new ideas for Austin.

David Buzzell, RLA, ASLA Park Development Manager, City of Round Rock
Round Rock's Game Plan 2020 (Parks Plan) and Citywide Trails Maser Plan have been a major tool used to create parks and public spaces today and has been a valuable tool to showing developers and other stakeholders the value of individual projects to the larger Round Rock park and public space scheme and coordinating dedications, etc...


Joan Hyde City of Austin Design Commissioner
Public space has been a part of Austin since the inception of the original plan. While Austin does have a great park system, there is certainly room for improvement. The commission looked at many other cities across the country to prepare a number of recommendations to Austin City Council to streamline and coordinate public spaces and parks in the City of Austin. Boston provides a prime city with coordinated parks including the Emerald Necklace, Freedom Trail, the Big Dig, and others.


Garner Stoll Assistant Director, Neighborhood Planning and Zoning
As the former Planning Director in Boulder, Colorado, Stoll explains how different programs in Boulder, Parker, CO, and Austin have yielded vastly different results. For all communities, open space must be viewed as a necessity, and a valuable amenity.

Big Ideas:
- Context counts, but strategies many not necessarily be transferable from community to community.
- A vision is important; that way a city has something to shoot for.