Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative
Reimagining Congress Avenue for the future.
Congress Avenue epitomizes the spirit of Austin. It’s a connector—connecting kayakers on Lady Bird Lake to policymakers at the Texas State Capitol, professionals in business attire to families grabbing a casual meal, the east to the west, the north to the south. In the spirit of connection, the Downtown Austin Alliance is working alongside the City of Austin to advance community dialogue and thoughtful planning for this reimagining of downtown’s central street.
Support Through The Years
2010
In 2010, we published “Envisioning the Avenue: A Strategic Report”. This envisioned how to make Congress Avenue a truly exceptional place. This report took a block-by-block approach to identify short- and long-term improvements that could be made.
Read the Report⟶2017
The 2010 report laid the ground work for a community-wide effort for creating the Congress Avenue Vision in 2017, which sought to develop Congress Avenue into an extraordinary place that is the heart and soul of Austin and the Main Street of Texas. Through this effort, we implemented free activations and markets, beautification and arts efforts, pocket patios and banner signage.
Explore the Ann Richards Banners⟶2022
In partnership with the City of Austin, we helped champion the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative Vision Plan in 2018. Using urban and human-centric design, the plan seeks to identify and realize a grand vision for Congress Avenue. In Spring 2022, the plan was finalized and updated to reflect the bond-allocated funding for the project that voters approved in November 2020.
See the Vision⟶The Future of Congress Avenue
The city and its design team are working diligently to evolve the 2022 plan from vision to reality. After feedback from city departments and community stakeholders, the city launched the First funded Phase of the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative in October 2024. The proposed First Phase focuses on funding investments between Cesar Chavez and 11th Street to enhance the pedestrian and bike user experience.
In 2024, the Downtown Austin Alliance partnered with the city to host two public open houses, multiple focus groups and one-on-one meetings with impacted properties, businesses and stakeholders to get feedback on the proposed First funded Phase.
Where are we in the process now?
The city plans to publish a report on the input received from the in-person engagement and the six-week online open house and survey.