Archiving Cultural Spaces in Austin, Texas
This virtual atlas project updates the City of Austin's 2018 Cultural Asset Mapping Project (CAMP), visualizing contemporary cultural spaces across Austin, Texas (Somi'sek). Using advanced GIS design and community-sourced data, the project creates an interactive platform for cultural preservation planning strategies.
The data represented in city databases are not merely points on a map—these are spaces where relationships form, where ideas are shared, where kinship is cultivated through culturally significant gathering. By examining spatial representations of cultural spaces, we can understand planning pathways to bolster and sustain their material presence for generations to come.
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Atlas Details
Software: ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Cargo, HTML/CSS
Methods: Geocoding, spatial joins, kernel density analysis, data validation, web mapping
Data Sources: City of Austin databases, community surveys, field verification
Study Area: Austin, Texas (Somi'sek) - 39 zip codes analyzed
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Challenges
Austin's 2018 Cultural Asset Mapping Project provided valuable baseline data on the city's cultural infrastructure. However, rapid urban development, gentrification pressures, and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the landscape of cultural spaces. Many community-identified venues closed, relocated, or emerged in new forms, while existing municipal data became outdated. Cultural spaces—particularly those serving marginalized communities—face ongoing displacement pressures, yet lack comprehensive documentation to inform preservation planning strategies.
This project sought to update and expand the original CAMP study, creating an accessible digital resource that documents contemporary cultural assets while highlighting spatial patterns of cultural access, equity, and displacement risk.
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Approach
Data Collection & Validation: I performed systematic geocoding of cultural venues, community organizations, and creative spaces across Austin using ArcGIS Pro's geocoding tools. This involved processing address data from multiple sources including city databases, community surveys, and field research. Many community-provided addresses were incomplete or used non-standard formatting, requiring development of systematic protocols for address validation and cross-referencing with multiple data sources.
Spatial Analysis: Using kernel density analysis and spatial joins, I identified patterns in cultural space distribution across Austin's 74 zip codes. This analysis revealed concentrated cultural assets in central and near-east Austin, with notable gaps in outer neighborhoods facing transportation barriers and economic disparities.
Quality Assurance: I implemented comprehensive quality assurance protocols including visual inspection of geocoded points against satellite imagery, field verification of locations, and systematic review of geocoding match scores. This process was critical to ensure data integrity for informing city planning decisions and community resource allocation.
Interactive Atlas Development: I developed a web-based interactive atlas using Cargo and HTML/CSS, allowing users to explore spatial relationships, filter by cultural space type, and understand geographic patterns in Austin's cultural infrastructure.
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Key Findings
Spatial Disparities in Cultural Access: My analysis revealed significant geographic inequities in cultural space distribution. East Austin, particularly zip code 78724, maintains diverse cultural spaces serving Tejano music, baroque orchestra, and community arts—yet faces disproportionate funding challenges and displacement pressures.
Transportation Equity: Transit accessibility analysis demonstrated that many cultural spaces lack adequate public transportation connections, particularly in outer East Austin neighborhoods where car ownership rates are lower and transportation barriers are most acute. The referenced transit analysis maps are featured on my PDF portfolio.
Displacement Risk: Cultural spaces in rapidly gentrifying areas face heightened vulnerability. Organizations like Rancho Alegre Conjunto Radio in the 78724 zip code have faced funding denials from the City of Austin's Thrive Fund, despite serving established cultural communities.
Density Patterns: Kernel density mapping revealed high concentrations of cultural assets in central Austin and near-east neighborhoods, with far lower density in outer East Austin—the region with the highest proportion of BIPOC residents and greatest historical marginalization.✧ ✧ ✧
Recommendations
Ongoing Community Engagement: Cultural asset mapping should be participatory and ongoing, not a one-time study. I recommend the City of Austin implement:
- Regular district meetings for community input on cultural assets
- Accessible online surveys about current cultural spaces and needs
- Partnerships with community organizations for continuous data updates
Transit-Oriented Cultural Planning: My transit equity analysis revealed significant gaps in public transportation access to cultural spaces. Planning strategies should prioritize:
- Cultural programming near existing transit nodes
- Transit service improvements to areas with high cultural space density
- Coordination between TEMPO cultural installation initiatives and transit planning
Equitable Funding Allocation: Spatial analysis demonstrates funding disparities that disadvantage cultural spaces in East Austin and other marginalized neighborhoods. Recommendations include:
- Allocating cultural funding according to operational costs and community need
- Prioritizing organizations serving historically underrepresented communities
- Streamlining application processes for grassroots cultural organizations
Digital Infrastructure for Cultural Preservation: This interactive atlas provides a model for accessible, community-updated cultural mapping. By maintaining and expanding this digital infrastructure, Austin can:
- Track cultural space changes over time
- Identify emerging displacement pressures
- Support community advocacy with spatial evidence
- Inform comprehensive planning and zoning decisions
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Planning Implications
This project demonstrates how GIS tools can support cultural preservation planning and equity-focused policy development. The atlas serves as:
- Advocacy tool for community organizations seeking funding and support
- Planning resource for city officials making land use and zoning decisions
- Research foundation for understanding gentrification's impact on cultural infrastructure
- Community asset documenting spaces of cultural significance for current and future residents
By spatially archiving Austin's cultural spaces and providing evidence of funding disparities, this work supports efforts to maintain longstanding networks of community and tradition while contributing to Austin's diverse cultural fabric.
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Project Impact
This atlas now serves as an ongoing resource for cultural preservation planning in Austin. The interactive platform allows community members, planners, and policymakers to:
- Identify cultural spaces in their neighborhoods
- Understand spatial patterns of cultural access and equity
- Track changes in cultural infrastructure over time
- Advocate for preservation and funding using spatial evidence
Note: Due to the level of detail in the maps, the atlas is best viewed on desktop devices.
→ Explore the Interactive Atlas
→ View Data Sources & Methodology
Sources include:
CAMP: The Cultural Asset Mapping ProjectCity of Austin Displacement Risk Areas 2022
Texas Commission for the Arts Approved Funding 2024Thrive GrantUprooted: Residential Displacement in Austin’s Gentrifying Neighborhoods and What Can Be Done About It: A Report Median Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)