General Committee Interest

While the deadline for committee applications for 2023-2024 has passed, we are always accepting applications for future service. Seats are limited but applications will be kept on file for two years and will be the starting point for filling future committee vacancies.

 

Be The Change You Want To See in Downtown

Are you looking for a way to use your expertise to make downtown Austin an even better place? The Downtown Austin Alliance is seeking volunteers to join our working committees. These committees advance the community’s vision for downtown by supporting our strategic plan priorities. The mission of the Downtown Austin Alliance is to create, preserve and enhance the vibe, vitality and value of downtown Austin for everyone. Dedicated to downtown, our team of staff and volunteers is led by our six core values. These are our commitments to how we approach working toward our mission in everything we do: 

  • Lead with Relentless Vision 
  • Earn Trust 
  • Inspire Passion 
  • Foster Collaboration 
  • Mindfully Impact 
  • Cultivate Inclusivity

We opened our committees to community applications this year because we know we cannot achieve our goals alone. If selected, you may participate in committee work to keep downtown safe and welcoming to everyone, spearhead new downtown murals, make public policy recommendations to our board of directors, or create innovative and engaging ways to activate our parks and public spaces. Each of our committees will be composed of Downtown Austin Alliance board members and community members. We are looking for volunteers to serve on these four committees: 

 

Mobility Committee –

  • Five-Year Goal: Downtown is easier and more enjoyable to access and move within, has enhanced pedestrian and transportation facilities, and improved connections to neighboring communities. 
  • Focus: This year, the Mobility Committee’s priorities include the City of Austin CoreTransportation Plan, a subsidized parking program for venues and service employees, and regional and downtown best practices for construction mitigation, among other issues and projects. 
  • Needs: We are seeking experts in mobility user access and experience, multi-modal transportation, local/state/federal advocacy, parking, construction mitigation, and the mobility needs of downtown employees, tourists, and residents. 

Built Environment Committee –  

  • Five-Year Goal: Downtown grows with a delightful and eclectic mix of modern investment and beautiful public spaces while preserving historic character and funky weirdness. 
  • Focus: This year, the Built Environment Committee will work on an attainable housing event, development codes and policies, an implementation strategy for the Palm District Plan, the historic entertainment district (centered around E. 6th), and policies to enhance cultural and historic preservation, among other issues and projects. 
  • Needs: We are seeking experts in public-private partnerships; architecture and urban design; urban housing; preservation; and downtown development, construction, and the land development code. 

Public Space Experience Committee – 

  • Five-Year Goal: Downtown is clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone. 
  • Focus: This year, the Public Space Experience Committee will work on a plan for improved social services delivery, scoping a maintenance service request app, increasing shelter beds, a  private camera interface with the Austin Police Department (APD), a night-time crime reduction pilot program, and a mural at Old Bakery, among other issues and projects.     
  • Needs: We are seeking experts in homelessness, social service delivery, hospitality, public safety (especially night-time safety), social service systems, beautification, and activation of public spaces as a strategy to enhance perceptions of safety. 

Active Urbanism Committee – 

  • Five-Year Goal: Downtown ignites, attracts, and cultivates authentic arts, culture, music, nature, and sense of place. 
  • Focus: This year, the Active Urbanism Committee will work on a catalog of public spaces for activation, the Our Future 35 Cap and Stitch program, storefront activation, physical improvements at Republic Square, assessment of a possible partnership agreement for Old Bakery, our Writing on the Walls mural program, Musicians Activating Spaces, and scoping a flagship artist event, among other issues and projects. 
  • Needs: We are seeking artists and creatives, landscape architects, and experts in parks and plazas, participatory engagement, heritage and history, public art, music, retail, placemaking, and storytelling. 

The Details 

  • We encourage Downtown Austin Alliance members and non-members to apply. We do not require membership for committee service. 
  • If selected, we ask for a commitment to regular attendance, preparation and participation in committee meetings and projects. 
  • Committees meet roughly every other month for 1.5 hours, though they may meet more or less frequently as needed. Committee members may be encouraged or invited to read, explore, or attend additional events to enhance their familiarity with key issues. 
  • Committees are advisory to the Downtown Austin Alliance Board of Directors. 
  • Committee terms are from September/October 2023 to April 2025. 

To maximize committee effectiveness, our committees are small and active; we have limited opportunities to serve and may not be able to accept all who apply. The Downtown Austin Alliance values inclusivity and is committed to a culture of engagement that operates with consideration and respect for all. Therefore, we encourage Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian applicants, women and applicants from other underrepresented or underserved communities to apply. 

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