San Antonio is gearing up for a full-on River Walk rethink, with officials working toward the city's first comprehensive strategic plan for the iconic paseo and hoping to deliver a blueprint to City Council by the end of 2026. After months of outreach and public input, an initial staff briefing is expected this summer as planners and a steering committee dig through surveys and community feedback. The focus: safety, accessibility and fresh programming designed to bring more locals back to the Paseo del Río, not just tourists.
The Office of Historic Preservation led the first public meeting on May 9 at Central Library, and the city says an online survey drew 7,320 responses. According to City of San Antonio, attendees took part in interactive activities and can keep sharing ideas through the SpeakUp portal. Planners say all that input will help set priorities for riverfront investments and programming.
Funding and timeline
City staff have laid out an aggressive calendar for the work. Officials are aiming to have a final strategic plan in hand this year, with a blueprint potentially reaching City Council by the end of 2026 and an initial briefing expected this summer, as reported by KENS5. The San Antonio Report notes the city hopes to complete a plan by fall 2026.
A request for proposals for the project spells out the scope: an assessment of current conditions, a citywide public input campaign and a “Code of Ordinances Diagnostic,” according to the City of San Antonio.
Business concerns
Downtown business owners and advocates are pushing for speed, saying the River Walk still has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. River Walk restaurants reported an 11–12% drop in summer sales from 2024 to 2025, Axios noted. Owners and some council members have been vocal about what they want to see: better worker safety, more shade and a stronger lineup of family-friendly programming as part of any revitalization.
What the plan could cover
City leaders say the strategy will take a holistic look at infrastructure, programming and the rules that shape how the river works for residents and visitors alike. The 2008 master plan led to about $18.7 million in capital improvements, completed in 2022, and the River Walk Capital Improvement Fund, which is financed largely by patio-lease revenues and brings in roughly $500,000 a year, would help pay for future work, according to the San Antonio Report.
A roughly 30-member steering committee has broken into four focus groups: maintenance, arts and events, ecology and business partnerships. Early ideas under discussion include accessibility upgrades along the river and new wayfinding or LED signage and navigation tools, as reported by KENS5.
Next steps for residents
Residents who missed the first meeting still have a say. They can weigh in through the project’s SpeakUp page and public input portal, and the city says feedback collected now will shape consultant recommendations and future spending decisions. Planners expect to consolidate that input over the coming months and refine recommendations ahead of council consideration later in the year, according to the city’s outreach materials.
