Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan

A COMMUNITY-BASED VISION

INTRODUCTION The City of San Marcos is located along the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio, one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. While contributing to rapid growth, the interstate geographically divides the City in eastern and western halves and creates an overall connectivity challenge for the community. The nature of highway-oriented development also creates a distinct juxtaposition with the more historic and walkable parts of San Marcos. The eastern half of San Marcos currently includes major existing and new residential neighborhoods as well as schools and major employers. However, there are many large tracts of land in this area which are rapidly developing. The western half of San Marcos contains the original Downtown core of the City, the traditional activity and population center of the community. Despite the rapid growth in other parts of San Marcos, the Downtown area remains a major activity center relying on its many assets, including a walkable street and block pattern; small storefronts; adjacency to Texas State University, the fifth largest university in the state of Texas; proximity to six well-preserved historic districts; and proximity to the San Marcos Springs, the San Marcos River, and a series of riverfront parks. Due to the location of San Marcos at the heart of the Texas Innovation Corridor and presence of Texas State University, the City is expected to continue growing at a relatively rapid rate. The eastern half of the city is less developed but is expected to experience significant growth in the near future. The Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan is a vision and policy document intended to guide the growth and evolution of the City for the next 20-30 years. It includes the community’s vision for topics such as housing, transportation, arts and culture, land use, economic development, parks, community character, and others. The actions, projects, and programs in this Plan aim to help shape the future of the places where residents live, work, shop, and play by preserving what’s important to the community and guiding investments that help make San Marcos a vibrant and unique city for all. As such, the Comprehensive Plan rewrite included significant public engagement to obtain input from the public, stakeholders, and organizations in San Marcos throughout the planning process.

Kissing Alley, 121 E Hopkins Street

SAN MARCOS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2024

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