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Lunch and Learn: Austin's Past, Present and Future with Dr. Lila Valencia, City of Austin Demographer
Tuesday, May 19th | 12:00PM - 1:30PM
ACC Highland Business Center, 2nd Floor | 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd
Join us for a Lunch & Learn with Dr. Lila Valencia, Demographer for the City of Austin, as she breaks down how the 1928 Austin Master Plan shaped the city’s racial and geographic landscape by forcibly concentrating Black residents east of East Avenue and restricting access to services in other parts of the city.
Dr. Valencia will connect this history to current demographic realities, including population growth, immigration patterns, and shifts in education levels across the region. We'll discuss where Austin is growing fastest, why certain neighborhoods experience unequal and inequitable development, and how these patterns reinforce long‑standing disparities in housing, infrastructure, and opportunity.
Come explore the data behind Austin’s biggest challenges and what the trends suggest about the city’s future.
If you have any questions, please reach out to David.Fuentes@uwatx.org.
About Dr. Lila Valencia |
City Demographer
Dr. Lila Valencia is Austin’s City Demographer. She leads the Demographics & Data team at Austin Planning and produces population estimates and projections to support the planning and decision-making of city departments, local businesses and organizations, and the community at large. Lila is an applied demographer with over 15 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Before her role at the City, Lila was a senior demographer at the Texas Demographic Center where she monitored and reported demographic and socioeconomic trends to inform policymaking and planning for the state of Texas. Previously, Lila served as senior research analyst and complaint specialist at the City of Austin’s Office of the Police Monitor where she fielded complaints of police misconduct allegations and produced annual reports documenting these allegations.
Lila holds a Ph.D. in Applied Demography from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Master’s from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Lila has lived in Austin for 30 years and enjoys Austin’s green spaces, live music, and cultural events with her husband Michael and daughter Ada.
About Emerging Leaders
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About United Way for Greater Austin
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If you have any questions, please reach out to David.Fuentes@uwatx.org
