Call to Action! Support Adoption of the Equity-Based Preservation Plan
On Thursday, November 21, Austin City Council will vote to adopt a new Equity-Based Preservation Plan. Let Council know that you SUPPORT the adoption of a visionary future for protecting Austin’s historic, architectural, and cultural heritage. See below for details.
What is the Equity-Based Preservation Plan?
Austin has changed dramatically since our last preservation plan was adopted in 1981 and we need new vision for preservation that meets the challenges Austin faces today. Recognizing this, the City of Austin collaborated with a community working group to craft a new plan that uses the past to create a shared sense of belonging and to shape an equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and economically vital future for all.
The plan includes 107 recommendations that will expand the tools, programs, and resources for preservation in Austin. They include:
Making preservation more accessible to all Austinites by reducing barriers to participation with resources, education, incentives
Supporting legacy businesses through new and expanded programs
Creating a new designation to protect murals
Expanding tools to help residents of historic communities stay in their homes
Supporting environmental sustainability through preservation
Updating designation criteria to preserve more of Austin’s historic and cultural places and spaces
Why Preservation Austin supports it
Since work on the plan began in 2021, Preservation Austin has been a collaborator and champion of the plan’s vision and adoption. Several members of our staff and board served on the community working group, and through our advocacy, essential funding was secured in 2022 to complete the work of drafting the plan.
Since Austin’s current preservation plan was adopted over 40 years ago, our city has undergone significant changes - many beloved businesses and homes have been lost, and historic communities displaced. With so few tools at our disposal to preserve, this new plan empowers preservation advocates like Preservation Austin to push for policies and solutions that will protect more of the places and spaces we all love.
How you can help
Preservation Austin is thrilled to support this item at Council on November 21 and we hope you will join us! Here are some ways you can help:
WRITE YOUR COUNCILMEMBER
Email your Councilmember to let them know you support the adoption of the Equity-Based Preservation Plan (if you’re unsure, look up your Council district here). Sample language is provided below; however, the more personal to you the better! Send your emails no later than Wednesday to ensure they’re seen by Council before their vote.
SAMPLE EMAIL
Dear Councilmember,
I write to you today to express my support for City Council's adoption of the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. The plan charts a new future for preservation in Austin that uses the past to create a shared sense of belonging and shapes an equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and economically vital future for all. As Austin continues to grow and evolve, we need a vision for preservation that will ensure we preserve and honor the places, stories, and communities that have shaped our city.
Thank you for your consideration,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
TESTIFY AT CITY HALL ON NOVEMBER 21
Join Preservation Austin at City Hall on Thursday, November 21 at 10 AM to show your support for the plan. Sign up online to speak in person or by phone starting on Monday, November 18 at 10 AM until Wednesday, November 20 at 3 PM, or in person at City Hall until Thursday, November 21 at 9:45 a.m.
SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Let everyone know that you support the plan! Share our posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X.
SUPPORT PRESERVATION AUSTIN
Preservation Austin is the only citywide nonprofit dedicated to preservation, and our members, donors, and sponsors make this work possible. If you believe in preserving the places and spaces that make Austin Austin, we hope you’ll join us in this work by becoming a member or donating today.