The goal of this research was to maintain excellent water quality at reduced chemical operations cost. Chemical usage data at the Austin water treatment plants were examined by identifying trends and investigating suspected inefficiencies. The investigation consisted in jar test experiments, plant-scale experiments, and equilibrium modeling. Lime and ferric sulfate were suspected to be added inefficiently with respect to cost while the other treatment chemicals were assessed to be added efficiently. Lime was investigated in greater depth than ferric sulfate because ferric sulfate was better characterized in its effect on finished water quality within the range of interest. The goal of lime addition is to remove hardness from the water by a process called lime softening. Hardness removal decreases corrosion in transmission lines and prevents deposition of unwanted solids in household appliances. Additionally, lime softening aids in particle removal and disinfection-by-product precursor reduction. The efficiency of lime addition was evaluated based on settled water pH and causticity goals, which serve as the operating parameters for the water treatment plants. The most efficient lime softening occurs when multiple softening goals are simultaneously achieved. First, the dissolved calcium concentration must achieve a minimum. Second, the dissolved magnesium concentration must be reduced by at least 10 mg/L as CaCO₃. Third, total alkalinity must be preserved at its maximum concentration while also achieving excellent hardness removal. Fourth, natural organic matter (NOM), which serves as a precursor for disinfection-by-products, must be removed sufficiently to achieve DBP reduction goals. Finally, the turbidity in the effluent from the settling basin must be below 2.0 NTU. Through the chemical investigation of lime based on existing scientific literature, computer modeling, jar test experiments, and full-scale testing, it was determined that the optimal condition operating condition for lime softening was a settled water pH range from 10.0 - 10.1. / text

This report first explores the changes journalism is experiencing since the advent of the Internet in a broad manner. Second, and more specifically, it aims to shed more light on the mechanisms that are used by the very diverse Austin-area range of outlets and journalistic corporations, and the way they are embracing and adopting new technologies. To that end, it also tries to analyze the current Austin media ecosystem in depth, focusing on some of the most representative local media outlets and interviewing some of the more relevant personalities that are making all of these changes feasible. / text

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Walkability is desirable for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, walkability is desirable because it is the only available or affordable transportation modal choice. Urban form and transportation infrastructure can be hostile to pedestrians because cars are prioritized first, and pedestrians often face unsafe situations and a lack of pedestrian facilities. This analysis explores a spatial distribution of pedestrian access to opportunities in Austin, TX, and examines the locations of households of different income levels relative to areas of high pedestrian access to opportunities. To achieve results that are equally precise across the study area, this analysis employs GIS analysis and U.S. Census 2000 data, and analyzes the study area using a ½ square-mile grid system. High pedestrian access areas are defined as locations where residential parcels have pedestrian network access to multiple types of opportunities and above average number of opportunities. This analysis finds that low income households are more associated with high pedestrian access areas in Austin, TX, than moderate and high income households. If lower income households are consistently shown to rely more on pedestrian infrastructure than moderate or high income households, it may be important to allocate funding to high pedestrian access areas with low income populations in such a way that is socially equitable, and that will result in more use of the pedestrian facilities. / text

Research shows the choices a teacher makes in the classroom are grounded in more than pedagogy, technical skill, and formal preparation through acquisition of teaching methods, materials and techniques. A teacher’s professional decisions are shaped by personal and professional histories, life experiences, current endeavors, and expectations for the future (Clandinin & Connelly, 1995). In this qualitative narrative study, I focused on the ways art making might be utilized as a professional development tool for reflection on the intersection of teacher identity and practice. During the summer of 2012, in collaboration with the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, six Austin Independent School District art teachers and I shared personal and professional reflections inspired by our art making. I used narrative analysis and coding to interpret and reveal the ways teachers used art to reflect on their identity and professional practice. In addition to these findings, this study revealed that teachers have a desire and need to reflect on the intersection of identity and practice. The lack of current research on identity as a shaping force of professional practice was the primary motivator in pursuing this research. Identity and the internal lives of teachers play a powerful role in the way they educate young people. Research such as this study emphasizes identity as a valuable and integral part of teaching work. Our perspective of the teaching profession needs to expand beyond an occupational sum of its parts: curriculum, management and learning assessment. Recognizing and addressing the ways teachers’ dispositions shape their teaching practice (Hansen, 2005) through future research can boldly expand definitions of professional development and the teaching profession to include teachers’ internal lives. / text

This professional report examined the relationship between school and city planning in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Six municipalities were selected for the study based on their type of locale: Large or Mid-size Central City, Urban Fringe of Large City, or Rural. Both elected or appointed and staff officials were invited to participate in an electronic survey. Through the survey, data was collected on the current interactions and communications between school and city planning officials. The survey also asked respondents their opinions on the desired relationship between school and city planning and the importance of various influencing factors on school planning. The data was examined by the size of the municipality and type of position held by the respondent to look for similarities or anomalies across the various classifications. The conclusions of this report provide recommendations for the desired relationship between school and city planning based on the survey conducted locally and the background information gained through research. / text

Recent trends in planning and landscape architecture are moving the two disciplines closer together, yet there persists a lack of awareness of each discipline to the other. Planning’s roots in street design and landscape architecture’s new theory of landscape urbanism, which focuses on infrastructure, provide common ground for a fruitful dialogue between the two – a dialogue that could have particular significance given the historical influence of design theory on streets and urban form. To investigate these relationships, this report considers the history of street design, landscape urbanism, the planning framework, and the implementation of street design in two cities, Colorado Springs and Austin. This report explores how planning and the new ideas of landscape urbanism in landscape architecture can mutually inform each other to address street design. / text

The paper evaluates the support needs of minority small business owners in Austin, Texas, based on a review of literature on support programs available around the country and primary research on the needs of local entrepreneurs. Research included a focus group with local small business owners served by BiGAUSTIN, a nonprofit business support organization, and a survey of 1900 business owners served by the organization in the past. Information was collected on the demographics and economic characteristics of 159 local firms, as well as on their interest in particular types of business training or support services. Based on survey findings, the paper concludes with recommendations for how Central Texas organizations can augment their programs to better assist small businesses in growth and development. / text

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is currently in the stages of implementing Austin’s first bus rapid transit line along one of the city’s principal urban corridors. The line will run approximately 20 miles, along North Lamar, Guadalupe and South Congress Avenue. Considering the key role that land use patterns play in determining ridership for mass transit systems, transit agencies are increasingly pursuing strategies to encourage transit-oriented development as a means of securing the success of their transit investments. Considering the relatively intense uses already existing along this corridor, the location of some of the city’s primary institutions along it, and its general importance in defining the “image” of the city, this corridor seems ideally situated to absorb significant density increases. The focus of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the general need for increased densities and transit-supportive development along Austin’s BRT starter route, to examine the overall ability of bus-based transit to generate development pressures, to outline some of the land use policies necessary for encouraging TOD, and finally, to suggest an ideal planning approach for encouraging transit-supportive development along Austin’s BRT corridor. / text

This study explores local plans as primary source documents outlining resident-requested, City-approved projects that may help reduce neighborhood-level barriers to physically active transportation and recreation. Emerging evidence suggests a link between the built environment and physical activity, but any causal relationship remains uncertain. This report begins with a literature review to discover neighborhood traits currently under investigation for correlation with higher activity levels. This is followed by an analysis of Austin Neighborhood Plans to identify community-prioritized Action Items pertinent to physical activity. Next, crime data are reviewed to assess objective and perceived safety levels in the study neighborhoods, Chestnut and East César Chávez. Finally, planners and residents are interviewed to explore how health and safety were addressed in the planning process, discover methods by which plan items have been implemented, and identify common barriers to project completion that the public health community may help bridge. Findings indicate that residents’ concerns regarding personal safety and crime may outweigh other neighborhood barriers to physical activity. Planning and health departments would be advised to address crime and safety levels as part of larger built environment efforts to encourage active transportation and recreation. / text