Hill Country Conservancy Lunch and Learn August 17, 2010
Substantial, long-term population growth. Huge increases in diversity. An increasingly divided urban region. RR
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis BK
Source: U.S. Census Bureau BK
Source: Internal Revenue Service BK
Job creation. Quality of life relative to competitor cities. Extremely strong sense of place. Synergy of Opportunity: created by the triple-whammy presence of: the University of Texas, thriving private- sector Tech Clusters and being the state capital. Physical setting of central Texas. Austin straddles an ecotone, a confluence of ecosystems. The state’s enormous growth has had great influence. International Immigration: Austin has become an emerging gateway. RR
2007 American Community Survey Data, Table B19113, US Census Bureau. RR
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis BK
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Living wage estimates are from Poverty in America for city of Austin: $33,842 and $18, BK
Jobs 2009 Job Growth Percent Professional/technical services105,82632,93945% Real estate53,00121,49368% Food services/drinking places69,07818,49137% Administrative/support svcs61,74712,02724% Ambulatory health care svcs38,26911,12241% Local government77,9319,89515% State government75,2509,33414% Securities, investments15,3886,10066% Educational services18,4235,78146% Source: EMSI. Includes full-time and part-time employment. BK
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area. Calculations by CAPCOG. UI is an abbreviation for unemployment insurance and may not represent the true unemployed population. BK
Source: U.S. Census Bureau BK
Population Growth Conservation Value JW
Are there parallels to this catch-22 in other arenas? What kind of impact might these demographic trends have on conservation? How does conservation philosophy have to change given these demographic trends? Carrying capacity has a strong environmental definition, how does that concept apply to a fast growing region like ours? What are the environmental implications of the diversification of our population? Audience Q&A JW
Brian Kelsey, Civic Analytics Ryan Robinson, Demographer, City of Austin Jim Walker, AICP, Director of Sustainability, UT-Austin