AUSTIN, Texas — Throughout the month of November, KVUE covered a variety of stories about the rapid growth of Austin as a part of our "Boomtown 2040 – Tomorrow's ATX" series.
KVUE aired a special on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. featuring the major pieces from the series.
Boomtown 2040 is focused on what Austin will look like in the next 20 years and how it could affect you.
By the year 2040, Austin's population is expected to rise to somewhere around 4.5 million people. Housing is expected to become more expensive and more compact as the population continues to grow – and with more people comes even more traffic.
With the rapid growth of the city, some Austinites are working to prevent East Austin's culture from being swept away. KVUE reporter Ashley Goudeau looked into these efforts and the challenges long-time residents have faced.
Groups of Austinites are fighting against certain changes that come with the gentrification of the area, to prevent the loss of East Austin's history.
Developers behind a new development in East Austin decided to preserve a historical house and turn it into a restaurant instead of demolishing it.
KVUE reporter Luis de Leon spoke with the architect and builder of the project about the decision. The area the development is in has drastically changed over the past several years, according to those who live in the area.
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With Austin's current population, traffic is already bad, but what happens in 20 years when the population has grown considerably?
Goudeau looked into what is being done to improve highways in the area, and if these improvements will be enough to keep up with the ever-increasing population.
With the mass influx of people expected to come to Austin, the demographic makeup of the city will change.
Goudeau spoke to the city demographer to find out what the Austin of the future will look like. He said as 2040 approaches, he expects growth to slow down a little as the city continues to become more diverse.
As housing becomes more expensive in Austin, members of the middle class are starting to get pushed out of the city.
KVUE reporter Jenni Lee looked into Austin's disappearing middle class and found it can be frustrating for some to try and buy a home in Austin on a middle-class income.
The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is expected to double in size by 2040, with more people flying in and out of the city.
KVUE reporter Bryce Newberry examined how this will affect future travelers. Newberry spoke to airport officials about current expansion plans and what it will take to carry them out.
With an increasing number of older homes being demolished to make space for new developments, KVUE reporter Terri Gruca decided to look into the cost of older homes.
Houses originally worth $100,000 to $200,000 are now worth nearly $1 million.
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