The Land Development Code has a significant impact on our daily lives, from shaping the kinds of places where we live, work, and hang out, to influencing the design of our streets and public spaces.

The Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, adopted by City Council in 2012, lays out our vision for a city of complete communities that can respond to the pressures and opportunities of our growing, modern city. To realize this vision, the City’s Land Development Code – the rules and processes that regulate where and what type of development may occur – must be updated to help achieve these goals.

Our existing Land Development Code was written nearly 30 years ago when Austin's population was half the size it is now, and it has become overly complex after being amended hundreds of times over the years to accommodate unforeseen issues. The Code needs to be changed to help us create the kinds of places we want, as identified in Imagine Austin, and to address critical issues such as diminishing natural resources, household affordability, and access to healthy lifestyles – to name a few.

The Code will play an important role in guiding the future growth of the city. The opportunity to update our Land Development Code means more than making it simpler to use and understand; it means creating a framework to help improve our quality of life.