Sustainable Places Project, Central Texas

In 2011, the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) was awarded a Sustainable Communities Planning Grant by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist four Central Texas communities – Dripping Springs, Elgin, Hutto and Lockhart – develop plans that advance local policies of economic development, livability and sustainability.  MAS is leading the planning team for the effort, providing local assistance in development planning, economic and market research, and financing and implementation strategies for a series of catalytic projects that each of the communities wish to pursue.

MAS has worked intensively with each city through a series of stakeholder meetings, visioning workshops and a community-wide charrette.  Using the innovative digital analytic tool, Envision Tomorrow, developed by Fregonese Associates, the workshops allowed stakeholders to “paint” development types on their project area map and instantly view the effect of their land use and development choices on a range of factors, such as population, housing mix and fiscal performance.  The plan recommendations developed as a result of this process were adopted by each city council in late 2013.