Sustainable Neighborhoods of North Central Austin is a civic organization based in the north central part of Austin

Austin

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. SN's mission is to ensure that redevelopment occurring on commercial arterials in North Central Austin

North Central Austin

North Central Austin is a colloquial term referring to an area north of downtown Austin, Texas.-Definitions:The City of Austin has no official definition of "North Central Austin". The Planning and Development Review Department divides Austin's core into , which mostly correspond to the boundaries...

 is neighborhood-friendly.

History

According to the group's website, Sustainable Neighborhoods was founded in November 2007 by members of the VMU and land use teams of four North Central Austin neighborhood associations: Allandale

Allandale, Austin, Texas

Allandale is a neighborhood in north central Austin, Texas.Allandale is located in ZIP codes 78756 and 78757. The neighborhood boundaries, generally defined by the boundaries of the Allandale Neighborhood Association, are Burnet Road to the east with the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods, Mopac...

, Crestview, North Shoal Creek

North Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas

North Shoal Creek is a neighborhood in north central Austin, Texas established in the 1960s.North Shoal Creek comprises United States Census tract 18.7 and ZIP code 78757 in Travis County. The area is bordered by Mopac to the west, Research Blvd on the North, Burnet Road to the East and Anderson...

, and Wooten. In 2009, members of the Highland Neighborhood Association also joined the organization.

SN has hosted meetings with City of Austin policymakers to discuss planning of Burnet Rd, Lamar Blvd, Anderson Ln and Airport Blvd. Guests have included Council Member Chris Riley, Planning Commissioner Kathie Tovo, UT faculty, planners from the City of Austin and CapMetro, architects and developers.
In April 2009, SN with six area neighborhood associations organized an Austin City Council candidate forum that focused on transit corridor planning issues, including minimum requirements for outdoor features.

SN in October 2010 organized a tree-planting at Lamar Middle School

Lamar Middle School (Austin, Texas)

Lamar Middle School is a middle school in north central Austin, Texas. Lamar is one of Austin Independent School District's seventeen middle schools.-History:...

, implementing a part of the school's Safe Routes to School plan.

Neighborhood Centers

SN has identified eight "neighborhood centers" in North Central Austin, based on their mixed use zoning and proximity to planned or potential transit stations. These are: Burnet-Anderson, Burnet Farmer's Market, Burnet-2222, Burnet-North Loop, Lamar-Anderson, Crestview Station

Crestview (Capital MetroRail station)

Crestview is a Capital MetroRail commuter rail station in Austin, Texas. It is located at the edge of the Crestview neighborhood of North Austin, at the corner of Airport and North Lamar Boulevards...

, Lamar-2222, Highland Mall

Highland (Capital MetroRail station)

Highland is a Capital MetroRail commuter rail station in Austin, Texas. It is located in Northeast Austin on Airport Boulevard just northwest of the I-35/Highway 290 interchange directly across the street from Highland Mall.-External links:* *...

. Six of these districts have Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) zoning. SN is seeking minimum standards for public open space in VMU districts similar to that called for with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning.

SN in 2009 identified the Crestview-Highland segment of CapMetro's Rails with Trails project as its "Project of the Year".