This inspiring walking tour will explore Lower Onion Creek, a section of the Onion Creek Metropolitan Park which was added to the park as a part of the City’s largest and most successful floodplain buyout project to date. Together, with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Austin bought over 800 homes within the Lower Onion Creek floodplain, removed the structures, and transformed the area into a publicly accessible green space with park amenities and restored wildflower meadow and riparian areas.
This immersive experience will take you through the physical landscape while weaving together the human stories, ecological science, and policy innovations that made this transformation possible. You’ll hear directly from community members who lived through the floods and participated in the buyout process, examine historical photographs showing the dramatic before-and-after changes, and witness firsthand how strategic green infrastructure can provide multiple community benefits while reducing flood risk.
Note: Participants should have the ability to walk up to two miles.