People who live and work in this community will have a unique hands-on opportunity to see into Hutto's future - and learn how to change that future to match up with their vision and values. The Sustainable Places Project will continue its work in Hutto with a public design workshop on Thursday, November 8 at 6:30 pm at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, 3160 Limmer Loop.

The SPP is an ambitious regional initiative to help Hutto and other Central Texas cities create livable places that reflect community goals and values that will thrive as the region continues its rapid growth and change. At the SPP's recent visioning workshop in Hutto in September, dozens of residents and community stakeholders engaged in lively dialogue about future priorities for the community and Central Texas housing, transportation, economic development, community health and vitality, the natural and cultural environment, and more.

The results from the interactive keypad preference survey and map exercises at the September workshop - and the Web survey currently online at www.hutto.sustainableplacesproject.com - will be the jumping-off point for the Nov. 8 event. The SPP's consulting team, working with the city of Hutto and other regional experts, will present the "trend" scenario of how Hutto is expected to develop based on current policies and market and demographic trends. (Hutto, one of the fastest-growing communities in all of Texas, has seen its population balloon by more than 1,000% in the past decade.

With that trend scenario in mind, participants in the workshop will be able to craft different growth scenarios - down to the building level - for Hutto's SPP demonstration site, which includes Old Town Hutto, the Gateway district near SH 130 and the new TSTC/Temple College campus, and more than 1,000 acres of land in between.

During the workshop, the SPP's customized analytic tool will provide participants with real-time feedback about the impact of the participants' planning and design choices on key indicators, such as tax base, property values, traffic congestion, and more. This analytic tool, being developed by a team led by the University of Texas, will incorporate insights and feedback from Hutto and the other four SPP partner cities - Austin, Dripping Springs, Elgin, and Lockhart - and be available for use by communities throughout Central Texas.

The SPP planning effort in Hutto will extend through 2013, with several more opportunities for public input. Final plans and tools are expected to be presented to the City of Hutto for approval in late 2013. More info about the SPP can be found at www.hutto.sustainableplacesproject.com.