Join us for an excursion exploring how the City of Austin is transforming public infrastructure to combat extreme heat and support community well-being. This guided walking tour highlights the city’s “Cool Corridor” initiative, a revitalized roadway in Northeast Austin that now serves as a model for equitable climate adaptation and community co-creation.
The tour begins at Gus Garcia Recreation Center, where participants will see firsthand how cooling interventions have been integrated into public spaces, including shaded bus stops, drinking fountains at community hubs, new tree plantings, and a large shade structure at the recreation center itself. Along the way, you’ll hear from city staff and community partners—including a climate resilience specialist, a parks engineer, a heat health expert, library staff, and representatives from Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA)—who will share how needs were identified, resources allocated, and success measured through collaboration.
From there, the group will walk to the Little Walnut Creek Branch Library, one of Austin’s designated cooling centers. A library representative will explain how libraries are increasingly leveraged as trusted community spaces and climate resilience assets, offering shelter, resources, and connection during extreme weather events.
Designed for city planners, parks professionals, and anyone interested in innovative strategies for climate adaptation, this workshop demonstrates how cross-departmental partnerships and community engagement can lead to practical, impactful design solutions.
Support is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
