05/05/2026
🌿 How does sustainability shape the way Austin builds for the future?
That was the focus of a recent Austin Capital Delivery Services/Austin Water-led workshop titled Austin’s Green DNA: Learning from our Past to Shape our Infrastructure Future. At this event, City staff came together to explore how can be woven into the planning and delivery of current and future infrastructure projects across Austin. 🌎
The day included a keynote from the international Institute for Sustainable CEO Anthony Kane, along with other notable speakers. Talks centered on how we learn from our history and utilize emerging tools like the Envision framework to advance projects from the very beginning, helping teams think more intentionally about long-term, people-planet-prosperity impacts. Project teams from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin Watershed Protection, Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and Austin Water also shared their pioneering project process.
💧 Hosted at Austin Water Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend, the workshop was grounded in a setting that reflects sustainability in practice. Known for its innovative approach to resource recovery and environmental protection, the facility offered a meaningful example of how these principles are already at work in Austin.
🚐 Through guided tours of the grounds, participants got a closer look at sustainability in action and how real-world practices can inform future projects. Insights from Austin Water and Austin Energy speakers added depth to the conversation, highlighting how different departments are advancing sustainability in their work. Conversations continued during networking, where staff connected across teams to share ideas and explore how collaboration can strengthen these efforts across the city.
As Austin continues to grow, conversations like these help ensure we’re building with purpose and balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s impact. 🍃🏗️💚
Austin Energy Green Building