Matrix Design Group, Inc. is proud to have team members whose expertise extends beyond project work. Before joining Matrix, Director of Planning, Jennifer Todd-Goynes, AICP, CNU-A contributed to “The Cost of Cool: Austin’s Tech Growth and the People Left Behind”, sharing insights from her experience as a planner in Austin.
Jenn’s chapter explores the challenges of turning long-term community vision into meaningful action—an approach that continues to inform her work helping clients navigate growth, resilience, and long-range planning.
In Chapter Eight, Jenn draws on her experience as a City of Austin planner to unpack a central tension in high-growth communities: even the most ambitious plans can struggle to keep up with the realities of rapid change. Austin’s story is not a lack of vision. It’s a case study in how difficult implementation can be. From comprehensive efforts like Imagine Austin to an ambitious initiative to rewrite the land development code, the city’s planning history reflects competing priorities around growth, affordability, equity, mobility, and preservation. The result is a built environment, and a community conversation, still catching up to its own ambitions.
Whether you’re a planner, policymaker, community leader, or simply interested in how cities evolve, “The Cost of Cool” offers valuable insights into the opportunities, challenges, and tradeoffs of growth in one of America’s fastest-changing cities.
You can purchase the book at one these retailers: (Amazon) https://lnkd.in/gRTPc697; (Barnes & Noble) https://lnkd.in/geCranXg; or (Waterstone) https://lnkd.in/gUQ_nYM9
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