Fregonese Associates was commissioned to lead a regional visioning process for the Central Texas Region centered around Austin, Texas. The process involved decision makers, regional stakeholders, and the general public in the conception and evaluation of a range of alternatives to regional development and growth management. The process explored the trade-offs between different development patterns and types of development and compared possible futures with the state of current regional growth. The vision and the process of arriving at a common set of regional goals and management strategies for the Central Texas Region served to develop a sense of regional identity among citizens and member governments of the Central Texas Region.

The process built on common elements among other successful regional vision plans. The first was a clearly communicated and compelling vision that reflected the local values of the community. The second was a pragmatic, realistic approach that built the vision with marketable developments. The third was the development of civic symbols, such as plazas, parks, or a community structure, whose success would come to represent the success of the entire region. The final element was a well-defined implementation strategy, with roles and responsibilities clearly defined among a broad cross section of the community.

The goal was to develop a quality, reality-based, plan through a mixture of art, economics, and science. The science in the project was built around the latest techniques and models in land use and transportation planning. Using Geographic Information Systems, and the available geo-graphic data for the Central Texas Region, the consultant team performed in-depth analysis to determine potential opportunities and constraints that would be a part of the visioning process. Transportation and economic analyses were conducted utilizing the best available data and models. Market trends, land use patterns, and physical constraints were examined to assess the development potential of The Central Texas Region, including the analysis of in-demand housing types that would be limited by current policies. With the existing conditions and trends documented, the team worked with the Central Texas Region's residents to test possible future scenarios.