Austin’s Success is San Antonio’s Opportunity
Truly connecting ourselves to the fastest growing market in America would be a quick way to drive real growth and opportunity
Nothing will get a San Antonian more defensive than a comparison with Austin.
But, from a purely economic standpoint, the breakout of Austin is absolutely undeniable. If you looked at both cities in 2010 they were very close on many key economic metrics. But, just 16 years later, it is a very different story:
Of course, Austin is one of the great growth stories in America. It hasn’t just surpassed San Antonio, it has taken power from many cities. Like Seattle in the 1990s, it has reached a critical mass of activity that attracts and retains talent and capital at an ever growing rate. The flywheel is spinning.
How should San Antonio think about this dynamic?
The typical response goes something like this: “good for them, but they have lost their soul in the process! We don’t want to be Austin!”
Welcome to a world of trade-offs. Want non-stop flights to Europe? Want your kids to move back (or stay) after college? Want more career choices? How about a more vibrant arts and entertainment scene? Then you better want a bit of what Austin has: a high growth economy.
Instead of being bitter about Austin’s success, the opportunity for San Antonio is to draft off of it. Let’s stay who we are but get some of the benefits.
As the Austin culture gets more corporate, San Antonio’s looks more interesting and authentic. Think of how Portland emerged in Seattle’s shadow—as a refuge for those looking for the “old” Seattle—more quirky and soulful. And, as prices rise and traffic grows, the quality of life of San Antonio looks better and better. We could be to Austin as San Jose is to San Francisco—the place where families go to escape the chaotic city. And, these are indeed two of our great assets: we are culturally rich and a great family town.
The quickest way to take advantage of these assets is to truly connect our cities. Imagine what would happen if you could live in San Antonio but work in Austin. Or vice-versa. We would attract a lot of people given our strengths as a city. And, in time, more offices would just open here in addition to Austin. The single market aspect akin to San Francisco and San Jose could become reality.
Of course, we have no Caltrain (the core connector of those great markets). And Lone Star Rail is not happening. But, we have to find a way. Transportation is on the cusp of a revolution and we should get in the middle of leading it. It’s surely too early for air taxis, but two other models could be explored rapidly. Tunnels are possible and real—they are happening in Nashville, Las Vegas, and other places. The emergence of self driving cars will open up new possibilities. Forget carpool lanes—imagine self-driving only lanes guaranteeing safe high-speed passage, point to point. Both could offer express service between cities. Surely there are other ideas.
We should be pushing aggressively to study our options and make this advance happen. Make Austin-San Antonio the new model of connectivity—let’s do it first and lead the way. What do you say, Mayor Jones?
Truly connecting ourselves to the fastest growing market in America would be a quick way to drive real growth and opportunity. And, we can do it without selling out our rich culture. Do we have the leadership to make it happen?
Editor's note: Lew Moorman is chairman of the board of The Civic San Antonio. The Civic's board does not assign, review, or direct editorial coverage. This piece was published on the same basis as any other guest contribution and was neither solicited nor required by his role. We welcome outside perspectives—to pitch a guest post, email Philip Reichert at philip@thecivic.com.