LoBu Visionary: Architect Alfred Godfrey (Part I)

I looked up Burnet Road in the massive database of books and periodicals in the Perry-Castaneda Library of The University of Texas at Austin and found a 1984 master's thesis entitled "burnet road" by then architecture student Alfred Godfrey. The thesis, composed in the early days of Austin's population boom, is prophetic about Austin's future and makes a plea for greater density and a less car-dependent development. Godfrey spoke of neighborhoods with 5 minute travel zones where the majority of residents could take care of shopping needs with just 5-15 minutes of walking or driving. That notion has evolved into reality for many residents of the Burnet area.

Godfrey argued for "a sense of public place in the American city" and "quality development (environmentally and sensorally) of the in-town commercial strip." He focuses his attention on the Burnet Road (the LoBu area) and says it was developed "between 1950 and 1965."

Godfrey's insightful remarks, made in his 1984 Master's thesis, follow in quotes:

1) "The area of study is bisected by the commercial strip, Burnet Road. Burnet Road, whose honky tonk vitality thrived during the 50s and 60s has fallen into economic disrepair."

2) "Given their relatively recent development, they (the neighborhoods) have no "historical" significance beyond the roles they have played in the lives of the people who have lived there."

3) "As one of the shining stars of the Sunbelt, Austin has grown accustomed to the problems and benefits for some time. Most informed observers estimate population growth will figure in Austin's future until at least the year 2005 and probably well beyond. How this growth is accomodated will afect the fiscal, social, and economic legacy left to later generation of Austinites. This thesis is offered as one option to consider."

Alfred Godfrey really nailed the prospects for Austin's growth-- back in 1984. I love the phrase "honky tonk vitality" and the early energy has been re-born with the renaissance of the LoBu area. The houses in this part of town are pretty pedestrian, the older houses are small and reflect the working class population of the mid-Fifties. The new houses reflect a hodge-podge of styles. They are being built with bigger dimensions and make an attempt to achieve some sort of architectural style. That trend continues and unfortunately too often maintains the LoBu tradition of "architecture or no historical significance." Alfred Godfrey described the modest Fifties houses in the Burnet area with some fondness and he had an amazingly prescient vision for the commercial strip that is still evolving on Burnet Road.