Austin, TX’s transformation from a quiet college town to a booming housing market is the focus of the podcast Growth Machine: How Austin Engineered its Housing Market from public radio station KUT and KUTX Studios. The show explores a century’s worth of decisions that have reshaped the city, revealing how housing costs have skyrocketed and segregated residents.
Featuring insights from prominent locals like Donald Dallas, co-founder of the Black Austin Coalition; Mayor Kirk Watson; city council member Natasha Harper-Madison; and Bill Bunch, Executive Director at Save Our Springs Alliance, the series aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Austin’s changing landscape.
Among the pivotal moments explored in the series are the construction of I-35, the establishment of the Save Our Springs ordinance, and the promotion of “Silicon Hills” through marketing and tax incentives.
The seven-episode series is hosted by KUT News’ Audrey McGlinchy, with contributions from colleagues Nathan Bernier, Mose Buchele, Marisa Charpentier, and Jimmy Maas.
McGlinchy explains, “If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to build in West Austin or why housing prices have gotten so dang expensive – we hope to provide some historical context. The story of Austin is growth. People move here every day. And the city gets bigger and bigger, not just the population but also the geography. The way we as a city have handled this growth, the direction in which the city has grown – that’s the bigger story.”
