Austin residential areas could see more coffee shops, cafes and coffee trucks after the Austin City Council approved a resolution during its Oct. 9 meeting to encourage their establishment.
The effort is a partnership between six city departments to analyze current zoning rules, technical codes and pedestrian infrastructure to make potential changes to the Land Development Code, according to the resolution. The rezoning process can be expensive and time-intensive, and zoning rules do not always fit the needs of the community, said Ryan Alter, city council member for District 5. The city will look at ways to lessen the barriers to adding more coffee shops near neighborhoods, he said.
“One of those things that we have noticed people really enjoy but don’t always have access to are your neighborhood coffee shop, cafe, food truck,” Alter said.
The initiative is part of Imagine Austin, a plan to make the city more connected through creating neighborhood centers and alternative forms of transportation.
“We have been talking as a council about how we create more complete communities — communities where you can walk or bike to basically anything you want or need,” Alter said.
The city currently uses a land development code from 1984, said Greg Anderson, an affordability, sustainability and walkability advocate and assistant liberal arts professor. A land development code is a set of rules outlining how the city is allowed to use the land, he said. The city attempted to rewrite the land development code in 2020 but was stopped by a lawsuit, Anderson said.
“Sadly, we’ve just zoned out so many of the things that Austinites want in their daily lives, and it’s time to make amends for that and to fix our outdated zoning,” Anderson said. “This resolution does seem to take a small step in that correct direction.”
Anderson said making the city more walkable will make Austin more sustainable, safe and connected. Walking to places like neighborhood coffee shops reduces the carbon footprint, and having more people outside in the community makes it safer, he said.
“There’s just so many other things that we bar from being near the people who want those things,” Anderson said. “So we require you to get in your three-ton vehicle to go buy a gallon of milk.”
Caleb Pritchard, a public information specialist for the Austin Housing and Planning Department, wrote in a statement that the city has not developed a “specific scope of work.” However, he wrote that the city will review the current land development code categories to see where it can make changes to encourage more coffee shops, cafes and coffee trucks within walking distance of neighborhoods.
Once the city analyzes current zoning rules, the city manager will propose code amendments to the city council next December, according to the resolution.
Adam Greenfield, advocacy director of Safe Streets Austin, said walkable cities typically have buildings closer together. Towns like these allow people to get exercise and meet their neighbors, he said.
Greenfield said Austin was built around cars and suburbs, which gave drivers access to a network and facilities they need. He said making it more walkable will take some time.
“You should have access to a whole network for other modes of transportation too,” Greenfield said.