The City's vision for the redesign of the 2nd Street District is to enhance the identity and image of downtown Austin as a civic and cultural destination for residents, visitors and businesses while preserving and enlivening Austin's sense of place. When constructed, the reconfigured roadways and streetscape improvements will provide an appropriate, public-friendly setting, linking two civic destinations - the new City Hall and the Convention Center Complex - along what will become downtown's key shopping or "pedestrian-dominant" spine: 2nd Street.

This project will serve as a model for sustainable development of city streetscapes. Research and design investigation on cutting-edge sustainable and best practices will be incorporated into the design. Areas that will be addressed in this regard include: urban forestry, heat island effects, water quality, renewable energy, green material selection and construction methods, public transit, and light pollution.

The project will integrate the ideas and work of artists to impart a distinct Austin sense of place and cultural identity. A key goal is to transform common, everyday streetscape elements and places into memorable ones that are distinctly Austin.