Demolitions in residential neighborhoods have increased quickly in Austin, as property owners upgrade their homes to contemporary layouts. Community Impact newspaper investigates the trend.
"Under the economic pressure of Austin’s rapid growth, the traditional housing stock in the city’s central neighborhoods is crumbling to bulldozers and wrecking balls at an accelerated rate," according to an article by Christopher Neely.
Neely is reporting an analysis by the Community Impact Newspaper, which found that 1,773 demolitions of residential properties occurred between 2010 and 2017. "By comparison, 1,900 similar demolitions occurred between 1980 and 2009," according to Neely. Demolitions tend to replace smaller homes with larger ones. Included in the article are quotes attributed to Austin Councilmember Kathie Tovo, who describes the demolitions as a "terrible trend." The policy and political landscape of the city, however, makes slowing the pace of demolitions very difficult, according to the article.
Supplementing Neely's explanation of the study is an interactive map illustrating the demolition data.
Read the full story: 7 years’ worth of Central Austin home demolitions on track to exceed numbers for the previous 30
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