,  League of Women Voters Austin Area View All Reponses >>

What is your top environmental concern and how would you address it?

Danielle Skidmore

City Council, District 9

Increased flooding has been a prevalent issue in Austin, resulting from climate change. From a policy standpoint, we need to reduce the number of vulnerable properties impacted by flooding, using programs such as buyouts where appropriate. The other piece of the flooding solution is to continue to support compact and connected cities, and to reduce sprawl. The redevelopment of existing impervious cover is better than expanding it; we must allow development to go up instead of out, which will help reduce car trips (thus greenhouse emissions) while preserving more green-space in the process.