What we reported

After the 2012 adoption of Imagine Austin—a 30-year comprehensive vision for the city—the city began the process of rewriting its land-development code through a process called CodeNEXT. Through a code rewrite, officials aimed to clean up a complex and confusing land-use rulebook that would meet the city’s growing need for housing and streamlined commercial development.

The latest

After releasing two draft proposals in 2017 the city’s planning staff and professional land-use consultants have been synthesizing public input to put together a final recommendation for the city code.

What’s next

According to CodeNEXT Project Manager Jorge Rousselin, city staff will release their final recommendation Feb. 12. At that point the city’s land-use commissions will review the draft and recommend edits before sending their final recommendation to Austin City Council in April. City Council has not released an expected timeline on deliberation before potential approval. When asked if CodeNEXT will get approved in 2018, Austin Mayor Steve Adler responded, “I sure do hope so.” This story is one update from The January Issue. View the full list of Top 10 stories to follow in 2018 here.