Steve Austin, Legacy Center at Blue Grass Community Foundation

Steve Austin’s professional experience includes nearly 23 years as a town and regional planner.  He currently serves as the Founding Director of the Legacy Center at the Blue Grass Community Foundation. The Legacy Center over sees the development and implementation of the community-endorsed ideas chosen through the World Equestrian Games Legacy Initiative funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  These ideas are the creation of the Legacy Trail and assisting with the revitalization of the East End in Lexington.

From 2000 to 2008, Steve served as President and C.E.O. of Bluegrass Tomorrow, “the most important and influential planning organization in Kentucky,” and was tasked with the responsibility of implementing the Bluegrass Regional Plan to manage the development and preservation of the world famous Bluegrass landscape, which contains a population of nearly 750,000.

Formerly, Steve was the Director of Planning of the Georgetown-Scott County Kentucky Planning Commission, where his tenure included the arrival of Toyota’s largest North American production facility.  While in this position, he was responsible for managing over $2 billion in investment in the community.  Despite being one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, under Steve’s direction the community retained its small town atmosphere, protected its environment, and added many quality of life amenities.  In recognition of its success, the community has received many awards for its progressive planning.

As an urban planner and designer, Steve has been involved with over $200 million in development projects.  He was one of the urban designers for the largest redevelopment project in Lexington, Kentucky’s history.  He planned the first New Urbanist projects in Central Kentucky. Steve also designed Kentucky’s first open space conservation development.

Steve has designed numerous parks, greenways, and private gardens including Royal Spring Park, the “Birthplace of Bourbon,” which received recognition from Landscape Architecture Magazine as one of the best public landscapes in the U.S.  He also designed Yuko-en on the Elkhorn, the Official Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden, a Japanese garden in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Steve has made over 500 public presentations, including speaking about planning issues to audiences around the world.  He is a frequent media source, appearing regularly on T.V. and radio and in such diverse publications as USA Today and Kentucky Monthly Magazine and is often used as a source by the Associated Press.

Steve has authored over 30 pieces of planning commentary as well as numerous planning studies and regulatory programs.

Steve holds both a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky.  He lectures frequently at the University of Kentucky College of Law and remains senior adjunct faculty at the University, where he teaches advanced design and regional planning studios.