Austin is Fast Becoming The Most Livable, Accessible & Inclusive City In the U.S.
Building cities and societies for human diversity and social inclusion is becoming a global mandate and Austin is about to do it all.
Date Feb. 8, 2017
Author: Darren Bates
AUSTIN, TX — We are at a historic moment in inclusive social and economic development, fueled by technological advances. Like so many municipalities across our nation, the City of Austin wants to transform into a Smart City to presumably improve livability, workability, and sustainability.
In order to do that Austin City Leadership will need to play a much more informed, strategic, and foundational role in the conceptualization, development and equitable implementation of Austin’s Smart City platform. For far too long the City of Austin has failed to consider the unique ways physical and social barriers limit the participation of persons with disabilities and other historically underserved populations from accessing and enjoying city benefits, services, and products.
Lack of equitable access and participation of persons with disabilities, people of color and other equity groups in Austin’s urban affairs is one of the biggest challenges facing our central Texas city.
Austin is extremely good at changing in a way that renews our unique character. In fact, if Austin did not have this incredible capacity to change, with all the growth and change its seen, the city probably would have already lost its spirit and collective soul long ago. The residents of Austin want to preserve and renew the spirit and soul of the city.
Austin is seeking solutions to solve rapidly multiplying social and economic inequities caused by the rapid pace of economic development. Austin is willing to admit where it could have done better, where it did not get it right, and what it needs to learn to affect positive change. Austin knows it must change to continue being the city Austinites and visitors from around the world love. Positive change, leading to social and economic equity for all residents but most predominantly for our underserved communities were the driving factor that inspired the City of Austin to throw its Stetson Hat into the running for a chance to win The Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant.
There’s not another city in the country more ready to transform its community, find solutions to extinguish social inequities for good and remove systemic barriers that have hindered Austin’s progress towards social inclusion and economic equity for all.
Likewise, there’s no other Mayor in the U.S. more passionate or more committed to achieving these goals than Mayor Steve Adler. Mayor Adler’s goal is for Austin to become the “Most Livable Smart City in the U.S. “ — a hero city that everybody looks to for best practices and innovation.
“We are strong enough to name the challenges, to embrace them as opportunities, and to share opportunity and prosperity more broadly and equitably than ever before,” said Mayor Adler at the 2017 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS: THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN. “We will show the world how we change to preserve our soul and how we make ourselves great, over and over again.”
As a resident of Austin, a person with disabilities and a member of the LGBTQ community, I want what the Mayor wants, but I would like to add one more achievable objective. I want the City of Austin to become not only the “Most Livable Smart City in the U.S. “ but the “Most Livable, Accessible, and Inclusive Smart City in the Country.”
Accessibility and Inclusion are keys to building successful and sustainable Smart Cities. Building cities and societies for human diversity, social inclusion, and equality is fast becoming a global mandate. Inclusive environments reflect the reality of how all urban inhabitants access their communities and live their lives.
Longitudinal Smart City Data from around the globe, going back 15–20 years, clearly demonstrates that Smart Cities which foster a climate of purposeful inclusion where all people feel safe, respected and inspired—no matter economic means, gender, sexuality, gender identity, ethnicity, ability, age, or religion — are the cities that continue to thrive and remain relevant.
Austin’s unofficial motto is “Keep Austin Weird.” It is a clarion call for and tribute to personal expression.
So it would not be silly or bizarre to think Austin residents must be calling upon the powers of The Capitol Goddess. It just must be true — there’s no other logical explanation for the treasures that Austin continues to uncover and mine.
This week Austin’s strongbox of abundance busted open, spilling a Pirate’s booty across the Texas Capitol. On Tuesday of this week, U.S. News & World Report named Austin as the “Best Place to Live in the U.S.” and today The Smart Cities Council (SCC), the world’s largest smart cities network, chose Austin as a Winner of The Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge. If this is not the work of The Capitol Goddess, I do not know what this is…
The Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge award includes a customized readiness workshop and technical assistance that will be designed to help Austin develop strategic plans using Smart Technologies to solve urban challenges caused by systemic barriers and the rapid pace of economic development. The readiness workshop and customized technical assistance will help Austin equitably develop and deploy Smart Technologies to tackle systemic barriers currently preventing people with disabilities, older Americans, people of color, and other underserved and historically marginalized populations from gaining access to affordable housing, public transportation, employment and other city services, products and programs.
“Getting to work directly with the Smart Cities Council and its network of leading companies, advised by top universities, laboratories, and standards bodies is fantastic. It’s exactly what Austin needs to spark creativity, ignite innovation, and enhance Austin’s systemic capacity to tap into and leverage the transformative powers of inclusive, smart technologies,” said Darren Bates, President of Darren Bates LLC, a boutique consulting firm helping The City of Austin build an equitable and inclusive Smart City Platform.
Winning the Smart Cities Council Challenge Grant will bring some of the world’s top practitioners to the City of Austin to work with local leaders and technologists to create an inclusive and equitable Smart City infrastructure that will dynamically improve Austin’s transportation, mobility, housing, and affordability.
Darren Bates is a lifelong champion of equality, inclusion, and social justice for people with disabilities and other diverse, underrepresented, and historically marginalized populations. Darren is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative and knowledgeable Thought Leaders in the field of Disability Inclusion, People-Centered Urban Planning and Smart City Transformation.
Darren offers a range of consulting services, resources, and training to help government and private industry build and refine accessible and inclusive Smart Cities and digital cultures that ensure no citizen is left behind or accidentally excluded due to the rapid pace of innovation and urbanization.
Founder of Darren Bates LLC
A boutique consulting firm that helps private and public organizations diversify their workforce by outreaching, hiring, retaining, and promoting qualified individuals with disabilities. www.darrenbatesllc.com
Founder of the Smart Cities Library™
The premier online resource for building for building and refining accessible and inclusive Smart Cities. www.smartcitieslibrary.com
Trademarks:
Building a Global Culture of Access and Inclusion™
A Smart City is a Connected City and a Connected City is an Accessible and Inclusive City™
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