Alice Constance Austin

Who is Alice Constance Austin?

Alice Constance Austin was born to Joseph B. and Sarah L. Austin in 1862 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an architect, city planner, radical feminist, socialist, and designer. Her most famous proposal at Llano del Rio, though never fully realized, greatly impacted later city designs and architectural planning. In 1935, Austin published her book The Next Step; How to Plan for Beauty, Comfort, and Peace with Great Savings Effected by the Reduction of Waste, discussing socialism, difficulties with the Llano del Rio project, and some of her other ideas on planning. Her feminist efforts in the history of city planning have gone so far as to influence the development of modern day issues such as minimum wage, social security, low cost housing, welfare, and universal healthcare.