Envision Central Texas (ECT) serves as a catalyst for regional cooperation and planning in order to realize a common Vision for Central Texas which preserves and enhances our natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and overall quality of living.

To help achieve this goal, ECT promotes and communicates the elements of the Vision, convenes regional dialogues to address growth challenges, creates tools to assist cities and counties in creating livable, sustainable communities and measures progress toward the Vision. Below is an overview of ECT's 2011 Program of Work.

Our Mission: Envision Central Texas (ECT) serves as a catalyst for regional cooperation and planning in order to realize a common Vision for Central Texas which preserves and enhances our natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and overall quality of living.

Our Goal: We must improve how we grow in order to sustain our region’s quality of life and competitiveness. The focus of ECT is on what, where and when we build, and how that impacts natural resources and mobility.

Our Work: To help achieve this goal, ECT focuses on public education, engagement and outreach; seeking opportunities for advocacy; creating tools and resources to accomplish the regional vision; measuring progress toward the regional vision; and our Implementation Committees and Task Forces.

2011 Program of Work

I. Improving coordination of regional infrastructure
Central Texas has critical infrastructure needs and severely limited resources. There is a need for greater awareness about our regional growth challenges, how issues are interconnected, the trade-offs inherent in various approaches to growth and the need for better regional coordination.

•As a key member of the regional consortium, help complete the work plan of the $3.7 million federal Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant. Central Texas has been awarded $3.7 million from the federal Sustainable Communities Partnership, part of the DOT’s, HUD’s and EPA’s coordinated effort to promote sustainable communities. The grant will be used to develop cutting-edge tools and plans that provide the information we need to make the investments that will help us create the region we want. ECT’s role in the grant is to assist with demonstration sites and lead the outreach and integration of the grant throughout the region. ECT is a member of the application consortium which includes CAPCOG, CAMPO, Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos, UT Austin, ACCD, Texas State and IBM. Additional organizations from around the region were involved in the development of the grant and will participate going forward.
• (Contingent on fund raising) Convene an East Side Growth Forum to examine the potential growth and development scenarios of the east side of the Central Texas Region over the next 20 years. Because of State Highway 130, the selection of the new Formula One Racing venue in Elroy, the relatively affordable land and other factors, the eastern portion of the region is facing unprecedented growth. ECT plans to convene a forum to examine the potential growth and development scenarios of the east side of the region over the next 20 years. This process could help positively shape the growth in this dynamic portion of the region for decades.
• Research “best practices” and convene a structured dialogue around the approaches to regional alignment/governance that emerged at the 2010 Regional Infrastructure Forums.
• Spotlight visionary projects at the Sixth Annual ECT Community Stewardship Awards Luncheon and feature keynote on regional coordination
ECT will conduct the Sixth Annual Luncheon to spotlight the innovative people, projects and processes that are addressing the growth challenges facing our region in ways that will move us closer to a future that preserves and enhances our natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and overall quality of living. The Keynote Address will focus on regional infrastructure coordination.
• Promote and disseminate the Central Texas Greenprint for Growth to help identify areas to preserve as “natural infrastructure” as well as sites for development. ECT, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land and the Capital Area Council of Governments, completed its Greenprint initiative in 2009. This unique tool can help communities identify opportunities to preserve their “green infrastructure” as well as help inform larger infrastructure and planning projects. In 2011, ECT will continue to promote the Greenprint throughout the five-county region.
• Convene Regional Planner Roundtables to improve communication and collaboration within region
ECT will continue to provide a forum for discussion of important regional growth and infrastructure issues and coordination by convening regular meetings of the municipal, county and agency planners.

II. Advocating for policies, tools and resources to support the Vision
In 2009, ECT began advocacy activities on county growth management and local option transportation funding , and in 2010, began work on water issues. ECT created working groups on these three issues as well as position papers. During the 2011 legislative session, ECT will offer testimony about these issues when appropriate, as well as conduct educational activities and seek out other organizations for potential collaboration that would help advance the Vision.

• Advocate for and seek collaborations on county land use authority, transportation funding and water issues
• Preview 83rd Texas Legislative Session at an ECT Forum
• Create Vision Principles Guide for new programs/projects. ECT will create a Vision Principles Guide so that public and private entities can gauge how their projects or programs measure up against the key tenets of the Vision.
• (Contingent on fundraising) Revamp website and add social media, revised toolbox, illustrative regional Vision and other new features

III. ECT Implementation Committees and Task Force. These groups contain about 100 volunteers and help ECT plan and conduct its initiatives and events.
• Community Design Committee - Works on case studies of projects in the region that have elements of the Vision and assists with the Regional Planner Roundtables.
• Community Outreach Committee - Works on opportunities for outreach on the ECT Vision and issues throughout the region.
• Natural Infrastructure Committee - Works on the promotion of the Central Texas Greenprint and other initiatives relating to natural infrastructure.
• Transportation and Land Use Committee - Works on advocacy and education related to current transportation and land use issues including the CAMPO 2035 Plan, transit planning and transportation funding.
• Benchmarks and Goals Task Force - Selects measurable indicators, benchmarks and goals to demonstrate progress toward the realization of the Vision.

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