Overlooked, Overheard

I think it’s reasonable to wonder why I would put all of this together. The truth is, I got this idea after having a long back and forth with someone on NextDoor. Basically, she was upset about an increase in taxes, especially since she couldn’t think of anything her taxes went to that felt useful, besides libraries. Now, I love libraries, but I couldn’t help but think that the reason she didn’t see value in how her taxes were spent had to do with the fact that much of what the city does is maintaining. The spot light may focus on innovation like new projects and facilities, leaving many to view the work of maintainers as lesser. The complex network of infrastructure we rely on to get through each day needs to be managed, and I thought it would be interesting to highlight that within a neighborhood. Using the City of Austin Open Data Portal, I collected work reports for projects that left little or no trace of their completion.  Hopefully, engaging in this experience will give people an opportunity to understand the size and scale of the work that goes into keeping our city functional, livable, and enjoyable for everyone who lives here.