Austin Considers Density Bonus

Builders would be allowed to increase the heights of their projects if they include public amenities and spaces as part of their proposals.

"On Dec. 17, the Austin City Council is scheduled to vote on proposals for a voluntary program under which downtown developers would be rewarded with extra space or height for their projects if they provide certain community benefits, such as affordable housing, child care services or cultural spaces.

City leaders have several goals: encouraging density and growing the tax base while ensuring that downtown remains a desirable place to live and work.

The proposals, called density bonuses, already have set off alarms among local developers who say they would raise costs and penalize them for the high-density projects that Austin leaders say they want downtown."