The Core/Waterfront is the most intensely developed and urbanized district of the city. Focused along Congress Avenue between
Lady Bird Lake and the Capitol, it has a strong and memorable identity that is recognizable throughout the region.
The area consists of numerous sub-districts, each with its own unique identity, including: Congress Avenue, East 6th Street,
the Warehouse District, the three historic squares, 2nd Street, the Waterfront and the Convention Center area. The District faces
and embraces Lady Bird Lake, the region’s pre-eminent open space and one of the community’s most beloved gathering places.
The Core is the principal address for corporate office users and for major “flagship” hotels. Downtown’s waterfront has
emerged as a high-density residential and mixed-use area. The eastern portion of the Core is least developed, characterized
by underutilized parcels, parking lots and a concentration of social services.
As part of the Downtown Austin Plan, urban design priorities have been established to incentivize office and hotel uses to
bolster the Core/ Waterfront as the premier office employment district and visitor destination of the region. In fact, in this
district, there are 63 properties, totaling about 50 acres that have been assembled to a quarter-block or greater. These are
considered “opportunity sites” and are relatively unconstrained. They could likely develop over the next five to 15 years. The
sites shown in brown (shown bottom right) represent approximately 14.4 million square feet of future potential develoment.
Additional urban design goals for the district include enhancing the Core/Waterfront as the premier employment, cultural and
visitor center of the region; improving the quality of the pedestrian experience; to make it easier to move around without a car;
and lastly, to ensure that the district is a welcoming and affordable place for all.
