Austin’s Potential to Succeed
In the March issue of The Atlantic, James Fallows’ “Can America Put Itself Back Together?” was accompanied by his “Eleven Signs a City Will Succeed.” Based upon extensive research-based travel that he and his wife did, the articles describe positive (and often surprising) signs of community success in places as unexpected as Duluth, Fresno, Sioux Falls and northeastern Mississippi. Counter to the current national political narrative that America is in steep decline, Fallows found numerous examples of “rapidly progressing civic and individual reinvention” at the local level. This gave us hope.
How does Austin stack up? Is it succeeding as a city by the measures Fallows observed? If we look to Fallows’ 11 key indicators as building blocks upon which solutions to community problems may be constructed, we see true potential in Central Texas. Austin still has major challenges (e.g., affordable housing, transportation, maintaining a skilled work force), but it has elements of each indicator that support progress. It starts with strong and visionary leadership in both the private and public sectors, and is complemented by the “can do” entrepreneurial approach of a highly educated, risk-taking and tech savvy community (e.g., think of how rapidly the tech community embraced the challenge filling the void when Uber and Lyft abruptly pulled out). Because community progress moves slowly, it is often difficult to discern. However, if you stop and look at what factors position Austin for progress, you see indicators of this potential in nearly every sector.
Public-private partnerships are real: UT’s Dell Medical School, the Town Lake Trail Boardwalk, and the Waller Creek Conservancy are notable, but we see this happening in all sectors
They have a downtown: and Austin’s gains in vibrancy every day
Divisive national politics seem a distant concern: you may be thinking “not so much”, but when you look at politics here, the issues that generate the most passion are local (e.g., the recent ride-hailing vote; reconciling environmental quality with rapid development)
They make themselves open: Mission Capital’s 2015 Accelerator graduate, the Multicultural Refugee Coalition, is a perfect example of creating a cottage industry for refugees who are not only gainfully employed but also in partnership with IKEA to supply their Austin-made textiles
They have craft breweries: Austin is crawling with them. (Check out Fallows’ article to find out why this made the list and what other criteria are listed.)
Another indicator mentioned by Fallows is Austin’s 2016 status as second in the Kaufmann Foundation’s ranking of “start-up density,” a sign of progress through creativity and entrepreneurship. And we’re seeing that innovation across sectors, empowering mission-driven leaders and organizations in their vision to improve the lives of those in need. When we combine these elements together, it’s clear that Austin is indeed a high-potential city, not only ready but also truly able to achieve community success. Each individual brings additional potential for growth and prosperity. I urge you to consider which of these attributes you can contribute to—or take advantage of—to advance your mission.