Why Austin Needs to Prioritize Preservation
Authentic cities celebrate history
Austin is widely known as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. To those of us who call Austin home, this is simultaneously fantastic and frustrating. We enjoy new job opportunities, an exciting restaurant scene, and a spirit of entrepreneurship that is more dynamic than ever. We suffer through long commutes stuck in traffic, can’t get a seat (forget a parking spot) at our once homey favorite spots, and face rising rents and mortgages that drive us to the outskirts of town. I love this city and all of its craziness. And, as a fourth-generation Austinite, I still say I’d rather be in a city that’s growing than in one that is stagnant or on the decline.
However, I believe that, as we grow, it’s essential to remember what makes Austin, Austin. What brought us here. What keeps us here. What stories we tell. And we need to protect these places and ideals in order to protect the city’s authentic identity and culture of kindness (“everyone’s a neighbor” attitude).
I often imagine what it might be like to take a tour of my hometown. What stories would the tour guide tell? And, more importantly, where would they take the tour group? What would it be like if there were no physical remnants of our history? Would the story be as meaningful or memorable? Think about the places you visit on vacation — places you seek out to experience the feeling of their history, to stand where someone who made a real difference once stood, to see the home of an artist, to walk the site of a battle, to touch a wall that’s been standing for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. Places hold a unique power, and experiencing a sense of history is different from reading or hearing about it.
Would we be as credible without structures and museums and locally-owned businesses that back up our stories? Can we call ourselves the Live Music Capital without historic music venues? When we tell people about Stevie Ray Vaughan and Willie Nelson and Gary Clark Jr., will we be able to take them to a place where they performed? Can we call ourselves weird without Eeyore’s Birthday and Peter Pan Mini Golf and Amy’s Ice Creams and the “Hi, How are you?” mural and that guy who rides a bike in a thong and makes us miss Leslie? Can we call ourselves cool without Barton Springs and Deep Eddy (both of which have historical structures, btw)? I don’t know if we could.
Authenticity and community are built on a shared, celebrated history that we can all be proud to be part of. Innovative preservation policy is absolutely key to achieving this, and is an urgent concern in the midst of rapid growth. Let’s work together to make it a priority.
