Stephanie Myers

Imagine if SimCity could be used to see how land use codes would affect Austin, in real life. The City of Austin is working with just such a tool that could change the face of urban design.

One of the ways the City and developers are enacting this part of Imagine Austin is by encouraging construction of mixed-use buildings – retail on the first floor and maybe office space on the second or third and apartments and condos the rest of the way up. Although developments like these have been sprouting up around the city for a few years now, it’s still a learning process for those involved.

The days have gotten longer and warmer, encouraging us all to spend our free time outdoors biking, swimming, running, rowing and hiking. Sometimes we don’t have time to get out of the city or just want to do something for a few hours close to home.

It’s no secret that bicycling is good for a person and good for the community. Bicycling prevents obesity, pollution and the costs that go along with one-person-one-car commuting. To encourage more Austinites to become cyclists, the city is celebrating Bike Month in May.