“I’m disappointed that the legislature chose to nullify the bedrock principles of self-governance and limited government by imposing regulations on our city over the objection of Austin voters. Our city should be proud of how we filled the gap created when Uber and Lyft left, and we now must hope that they return ready to compete in a way that reflects Austin’s values.”

By Mayor Adler

This is a big week for Austin — and I’m officially declaring Tuesday as Austin Everybody Chill Out Day. Though any day is a good day to take a deep breath, relax and focus on the task ahead, it’s especially salient for us on Tuesday because that’s the day we all get our first look at the initial draft of the CodeNext map.

The map will be the first round of applying new zoning classifications citywide as part of the overdue rewrite of Austin’s horribly outdated land-use code, which governs what can be built where. The CodeNext process will help us manage our explosive growth while preserving what makes Austin special. We have to act and need to begin now — and this map is where we start. Continue reading →