Multiple proposed skyscrapers are changing the shape of once low-slung downtown Austin, signaling the growth of the city as a technology and manufacturing hub.

In an article for Bloomberg CityLab, Kriston Capps describes the ‘supertall’ skyscraper projects that are poised to transform the “once-modest skyline” of Austin, Texas, including an 80-floor tower that would become the tallest in Texas upon completion.
As Capps explains, a ‘supertall’ is defined as any building over 300 meters tall. “The skyscrapers will stand as a string of exclamation points punctuating a decade-long-plus ‘Texas Miracle’ of economic growth.” While other Texas cities have also seen robust growth, Austin, once known as ‘Silicon Hills’ in the 1990s, is unique in that “The city’s pivot toward high-tech manufacturing — led by companies like Tesla Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. and fueled by President Joe Biden’s embrace of industrial policy as well as generous state and local incentives — has triggered an avalanche of investment.”
Capps warns that the supertall boom could be less promising than it seems. “Real estate is a lagging indicator, and skyscrapers often arrive after the boom is over, looming half-empty as monuments to a bust.” But with companies like Samsung planning to build massive semiconductor manufacturing plants in Austin, it appears that the city’s growth spurt may be more than a flash in the pan.
FULL STORY: The Supertalls Are Coming to Austin

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)