Policy brief

The low and middle income creative community in Austin is in danger of being pushed out of the creative center of Texas as Austin moves from a sleepy, weird college town to a cool metropolitan international city. Because of increasing property values and tax rates, the core of weird that makes Austin such a desirable place to live can not afford to remain in the traditional inner-city communities in central and near south Austin. Specifically, the 78704 zip code (the popular bumper sticker reads, “78704: It’s Not Just a Zip Code, but a State of Mind”) is under tremendous pressure because of its unique architecture, close proximity to downtown and Zilker Park, and large population of musicians, artists, and writers that formed in the 1950s.

An indication of the situation can be seen in the rise of median incomes in the 78704 zip code located just south of downtown, east of MoPac (Loop 1) and West of IH 35. According to the 2000 US Census, the median income levels for 78704 were between $60,000 and $70,000. In 2010, those same areas had median incomes upwards of $150,000.

What were the conditions that attracted creative individuals and formed communities of cultural producers in the 1950s in austin, and how can this inform the cultivation of further culture production? Is there a process that can support an inclusion of lower income individuals in the traditionally weird neighborhoods of Austin?

The City of Austin is currently recreating its development code to encourage a vital and sustainable urban environment through a process called CodeNEXT. Can a scaffolding of policies be created in a parallel process (WeirdNEXT) to maintain the cultural vibrancy that makes Austin such an attractive city? Are there ways to maintain affordable housing for creative individuals in the urban core, where the critical mass of artistic activity occurs? Do creatives need to find alternative places to go if Austin can no longer support them? Is it time to recreate Austin in another location and leave the city to the consumers of culture who drove out the weird they sought to consume?