"Keep Austin Wired!"

"Keep Austin wired!" - the unofficial motto of Austin, TX

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Being "wired", in this context, is all about being authentic, not being afraid to be different, not caring what others may think - even if they may judge harshly.

When we create "places", we, inevitably, want to follow the trend and cater to what people like. There is nothing wrong with it, or it is what we as planners should be doing. But at the same time, we may fall into the trap of being generic.

As I grew older, I realized that being generic or mediocre is a terrible place to be, because it means losing my own identity and not being true to myself, or shutting down the opportunity to get to know myself in the first place. I want people to think I am a nice person, but "being nice" should not be the only thing when people think of me, at least I hope not. "Nice" person, is such a generic term.

When we make places in the current era, it is so easy to promise that "we want to make the place more livable." Yes, right! What does livable even mean? It is such a generic term, just like saying someone is a nice person, without vivid and unique examples to expand on that.

The Ancient Fengshui philosophy believes that any material thing on earth has its own Qi, which is a form of energy, which defines the being of this thing. We may call it spirit in the western belief. A pencil has its energy as being a pencil; a plant has its unique energy, which separates it from other types of plants; a person has a special energy, which is expressed through his/her personality, character and physical appearance. I believe that a place has its unique energy too - an evidence being we feel attracted to certain places while repelled by some others.

Maybe, we should get to know a place of its authentic self first before or along the way of shaping it. If we do that, we will know what works for it and what will not. We want to explore, preserve and strengthen the authenticity of Hot Springs Village, and we want to be specific about it, rather than just making it "more livable" -  we are not afraid of being different or standing out.

"Being weird" needs courage and determination - solute to Austin.

wired vs. generic (author's drawing)