The In’s and Out’s of Urban Planning at Civilitude Group

Urban Planning is the preparation, start or recreation of a development process. From regulating zoning laws to making sure new developments match with the communities vision, urban planning has become a vital part of what makes Civilitude Group. With a growing staff, Urban Planning is still considered new within Civilitude Group, but the opportunities are growing for more planners to come in and expand the scope.

Todd Podbielski, an AICP Candidate and the Junior Planner/GIS Technician, works on affordable housing, multifamily housing, mixed use development and remaking Austin’s sidewalks ADA accessible. On a daily basis, he makes sure that future developments will be sustainable and equitable while complimenting the existing building environment with all its stakeholders.

Some of his day-to-day tasks include:

• Site Research/Feasibility Research – Determining if something can be built on a site. If so, then what is allowed to be built on the site.
• GIS Mapping Work – Supporting the Civil Engineers with various GIS mapping tasks to create new spatial displays and exhibits of projects.
• Supporting proposals and applications for future projects – specifically affordable housing projects around the city of Austin.

When it comes time to submit the work to start a build, you have to wait for the zoning application to be approved by the city planning staff. Then, it will go to the planning commission, and they will have to approve it. From there, it ends with the city council’s approval. Each group will make recommendations and an urban planner will then adjust accordingly before moving to the next step.

A main project that Civilitude Engineers and Planners have is fixing up Austin’s sidewalks to make them ADA compliant. This project will continue for the next 10 years and update 360 miles of Austin’s sidewalks. Urban planning is crucial to following the guidelines within the ADA and the city of Austin.

It’s no secret that Austin is a growing city. The skyline has doubled within the last decade and neighborhoods of Austin are all flourishing with new builds. It is important to have urban planners with goals to make development resilient, accessible, sustainable and equitable.