5 Themes of Geography: Austin
by: Kaylie Bull
Location
Austin
~ located in central Texas and the American Southwest
~ situated on the Colorado river
~ along Balcones Escarpment and Interstate 35, northwest of Houston, Tx
~ 160 miles south of Dallas, Tx
~ It's absolute location is 30,16'N 97,45'W
Place
The image of the Austin City Limits music festival represents the cultural characteristics of Austin. Austin is known as the 'music capitol of the world' and I think the image embodies how people, not just from the Austin area but from all over the world, come to celebrate such a large musical event.
Region
The image on the left is Austin and the one on the right is Portland, OR. Portland is a region that has very similar characteristics to Austin. Both cities were very successful with the 'Keep Austin/Portland Weird' campaign, resulting in other similarities. Such as, outdoor living, environmental consciousness, education, overall culture, and an active startup community.
Movement
People in Austin get around in many different ways. Mostly everyone gets around by walking, biking, or driving. There are also 'Cars 2 Go' parked throughout the city.(above) You pay for the amount of time you drove it, then you leave the car for someone else who needs a ride. Ideas spread through texting, emailing, calling, blogging, and through social media.
Human - Enviornment Interactions
Lake Travis is a good example of how the increased population of Austin is effecting its water level. The more people who move to the Austin area, the more water is used from the lake to supply the many inhabitants of the area with drinking, irrigation and other water uses. The recent dry weather conditions have been detrimental to lake levels , resulting in a decrease of water supply downstream to the Texas rice farmers.