CodeNEXT Gets an Autopsy Report

Planner offers a post-mortem on failed code revision

"...• The wrong consultant, Opticos Design, which Duncan deems to be too urbanist and..."

Oct. 5, 2018 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

Introducing CodeNEXT Draft Three

Now the fun begins

"...Greg Guernsey insists the latest iteration is more user-friendly. Opticos Design consultant John Miki noted how it consolidates information..."

Feb. 16, 2018 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

CodeMESS

CodeNEXT's final draft set for release on Monday

"...match with the base zonings of each neighborhood. "It's designed to be very specialized," he concluded. F-25 zoning (the..."

Feb. 9, 2018 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

Public Notice: Groundhog Day ... Again

CodeNEXT: Haven't we been through this before?

"...has just been released and quote John Miki of Opticos Design telling Council that "CodeNEXT at this point is..."

Feb. 2, 2018 News Column by Nick Barbaro

CodeNEXT’s New Friend, the Strategic Mobility Plan

Plans can’t be made in silos

"...by Kimley-Horn, the same firm subconsulting on transportation for Opticos Design on CodeNEXT. It was ultimately Kimley-Horn's familiarity with..."

Jan. 26, 2018 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

Public Notice: The Devil’s in the Details

And of course, no one wants to wrestle with the devil

"...what they see as overly prescriptive standards on building design and placement...."

Jan. 12, 2018 News Column by Nick Barbaro

CodeNEXT: And Soon … Lever Maps

Planning Commission punts discussion to Thursday, Jan. 18

"...group saw mapping consultant John Fregonese's new "lever maps," designed to help model how different kinds of zoning changes..."

Jan. 12, 2018 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

CodeNEXT Marches On

City Council extends consultant contract, maintains timeline

"...dais: the extension of CodeNEXT contract with consultant firm Opticos Design, and the approval of the Visit Austin 2018..."

Oct. 13, 2017 News Post by Michael King

Public Notice: Deadline? Whose Deadline?

CodeNEXT: "We've got to figure this out"

"...an item to extend the contract with CodeNEXT consultants Opticos Design, to the tune of $2.3 million in additional..."

Oct. 13, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Council: Visitors Welcome?

CodeNEXT, Visit Austin return to City Council

"...bump in the ongoing contract for CodeNEXT consultant firm Opticos Design, with a total now approaching $8.5 million. At..."

Oct. 13, 2017 News Feature by Michael King

Public Notice: Now’s the Hard Part

CodeNEXT 2.0: still more harm than good?

"...CodeNEXT draft last Friday, city staff and consultants from Opticos Design presented a code overview, along with a housing..."

Sept. 22, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

A CodeNEXT Questionnaire

"...Advisory Group), plus paid consultants working for the Berkeley-based Opticos Design, which has kept code conversations (relatively) on schedule...."

June 9, 2017 News Feature by Sarah Marloff

In the Name of Innovation

Council considers institutional racism, a suitor for Brackenridge Hospital

"...a $1.6 million lagniappe to the consultant's contract with Opticos Design (Item 5), about to total $6.2 million...."

April 7, 2017 News Feature by Michael King

Public Notice: Your City at Work

Planning, talking, digging, housing, walking

"...the Zoning and Platting and Planning Com­missions Tuesday night, Opticos Design consultants John Miki and Peter Park expressed their..."

March 24, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Public Notice: The EV/AV Club

Thinking big about planning and mobility

"...The New Apartheid?" March 3). Staff flew in the Opticos Design consultants from Berkeley to explain their reasoning, and..."

March 10, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Public Notice: Tool of Racism?

CodeNEXT fears aired; hopes expressed

"...all predicting the worst-case scenario." But the consultants from Opticos Design gave some hints about how:..."

Feb. 24, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Public Notice: What Is the Sound of One Shoe Falling?

City releases CodeNEXT draft to mild reaction ... so far

"...John Miki of Opticos Design said it perhaps most directly, in response to..."

Feb. 3, 2017 News Column by Nick Barbaro

CodeNEXT Leak Stirs Up Drama

Long-awaited land development code proposal expected Jan. 30

"...alike to let the city and its CodeNEXT consultant, Opticos Design, know how they feel about the proposal. On..."

Jan. 20, 2017 News Feature by Caleb Pritchard

CodeNEXT Is Coming

Special called CodeNEXT meeting signals new day forward for land development

"...rewrite formally began in 2013, with the hiring of Opticos Design as the effort's consultant. A citizens advisory group,..."

Oct. 28, 2016 News Feature by Caleb Pritchard

Talk, For Sure. But Action?

CodeNEXT holds community meeting, announces delay in rewrite process

"...had taken place since CodeNEXT organizers, including external consultant Opticos Design, shared their initial draft of the new city..."

Jan. 15, 2016 News Feature by Katie Matlack

Public Notice: "A Failed Experiment"

Planning Commission blasts Type 2 STRs

"...Hill Branch Library, 211 E. William Cannon. Representatives from Opticos Design will be there, discussing "Sound Check, Code Diagnosis,..."

Dec. 11, 2015 News Column by Nick Barbaro

CodeNEXT's Sound Check Gets Under Way

There's still (a little) time to tell city planners how you feel about the way Austin's designed

"...(comprised of staff from architect and urban planning firm Opticos Design, Inc. and Austin city planners) has been gathering..."

Nov. 20, 2015 News Feature by Katie Matlack

Public Notice: Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Listening in on the CodeNEXT Sound Check

"...More immediately, the city and lead consultants Opticos Design are about halfway through the week of interactive..."

Nov. 20, 2015 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Public Notice: Break Out the Sharpies (or the Sharp Knives)

If CodeNEXT staff want community input, they need to be more transparent

"...and the staff working on it, including lead consultants Opticos Design, Inc. They seem smart and well-intentioned, and I..."

Nov. 13, 2015 News Column by Nick Barbaro

CodeNEXT Prepares to Rewrite Austin

Sound Check, a week of city development code-related events, kicks off Nov. 16

"...Everything. Opticos Design (the consulting agency that leads the CodeNEXT process)..."

Nov. 13, 2015 News Feature by Katie Matlack

Public Notice: Bridges to Forever

The theme for the coming week is public input

"...team, including reps from the city, and lead consultant Opticos Design. Tuesday, June 23, noon-1:30pm at the Mexican American..."

June 19, 2015 News Column by Nick Barbaro

Civics 101

Duty now for the future

"...Setting A Path For Austin's Code Dan Parolek of Opticos Design and others from the CodeNEXT Team present their..."

Sept. 5, 2014 News Column

Civics 101

"...Setting A Path For Austin's Code Dan Parolek of Opticos Design and others from the CodeNEXT Team present their..."

Aug. 29, 2014 News Column

Then There's This: Decoding the Code

Next step: untangling 30 years of regulatory layers

"...team, led by consultant Dan Parolek of Berkeley, Calif.-based Opticos Design Inc. Residents will have an opportunity to learn..."

May 9, 2014 News Column by Amy Smith

Then There's This: Tuning In to Austin

Before revising land code, city performs field work with 'Code Next'

"...After Zapalac's opening remarks, Daniel Parolek of Berkeley, Calif.-based Opticos Design, the lead consultant on the Code Next project,..."

Sept. 27, 2013 News Column by Amy Smith