With the annual Congress for New Urbanism coming to town in 2008, Duany offers his thoughts on the Texas Capital on a recent visit.
"I'm disappointed in what I see here. This city is acting like a beggar, with a beggar mentality...Austin is hot! You don't have to go out on every date! But there's something left over here about an inferiority complex. You should see how New York acts, how L.A. acts – you should see how Paris acts. Austin accepts too many things that others would not."
"Austin should have high self-esteem as a city, but from what I'm seeing, it hasn't yet become ingrained. It's like, 'We're country folk, really; we don't trust that we've arrived.' You need to say instead, 'We're a very desirable city. We no longer will put up with B-grade service from developers. We demand and deserve A-service. Superb service!"
"Austin should stop acting like a cheap date – and ask its suitors to dress properly and take her out to a good restaurant."
Read the full story: Developing Stories: What Would Andrés Duany Do?
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