Hill Country ConservancyLunch and Learn

August 17, 2010

Substantial, long-term population growth.

Huge increases in diversity.

An increasingly divided urban region.

RR

RR

RR

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%19

70

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

United States

All U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

BK

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Percent of Population Growth Attributed to Natural Increase in Austin-Round Rock MSA

Source: U.S. Census BureauBK

Source: Internal Revenue ServiceBK

Job creation.Quality of life relative to competitor cities.Extremely strong sense of place.Synergy of Opportunity: created by the triple-whammy

presence of: the University of Texas, thriving private-sector Tech Clusters and being the state capital.

Physical setting of central Texas. Austin straddles an ecotone, a confluence of ecosystems.

The state’s enormous growth has had great influence.International Immigration: Austin has become an

emerging gateway.

RR

RR

RR

2007 American Community Survey Data, Table B19113, US Census Bureau.RR

RR

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%19

70

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

United States

All U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

BK

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Living wage estimates are from Poverty in America for city of Austin: $33,842 and $18,138. http://www.livingwage.geog.psu.eduBK

Jobs 2009Job Growth2002-2009 Percent

Professional/technical services 105,826 32,939 45%

Real estate 53,001 21,493 68%

Food services/drinking places 69,078 18,491 37%

Administrative/support svcs 61,747 12,027 24%

Ambulatory health care svcs 38,269 11,122 41%

Local government 77,931 9,895 15%

State government 75,250 9,334 14%

Securities, investments 15,388 6,100 66%

Educational services 18,423 5,781 46%

Source: EMSI. Includes full-time and part-time employment.BK

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area. Calculations by CAPCOG. UI is an abbreviation for unemployment insurance and may not represent the true unemployed population.BK

46%

47%

54%

58%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Bastrop County

Travis County

Williamson County

Caldwell County

Hays County

Percentage of Workers in County Who Live Outside County, 2008

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

BK

Population Growth

Conservation Value

JW

Are there parallels to this catch-22 in other arenas? What kind of impact might these demographic trends

have on conservation? How does conservation philosophy have to change

given these demographic trends? Carrying capacity has a strong environmental

definition, how does that concept apply to a fast growing region like ours?

What are the environmental implications of the diversification of our population?

Audience Q&AJW

Brian Kelsey, Civic Analytics

brian@civicanalytics.com

Ryan Robinson, Demographer, City of Austin

ryan.robinson@ci.austin.tx.us

Jim Walker, AICP, Director of Sustainability, UT-Austin

jim.walker@austin.utexas.edu