Chris Riley
July 12, 1964 - August 8, 2024
“I knew Chris for over thirty years. We were neighbors, and I served with him for many years on the Old Austin Neighborhood Association. I always admired Chris' advocacy for a walkable city, combined with his respect for Austin's history, historic preservation and our wonderful parks and public spaces. For instance, the historic designation of the 1925 Third Street Trestle, 1887 West Sixth Street Bridge and the restoration/rehabilitation of Wooldridge Square.
Chris saw the balance of the new and old in a good city planning strategy.” Charles Peveto, President, Austin History Center Association
These comments echo the thoughts of many local residents upon the death of former Austin City Council member Chris Riley on Aug. 8, 2024. It is only fitting that he died after a gathering with friends in his historic home on San Antonio Street in downtown Austin, with his wife Denise Brady by his side.
Chris lived a life filled with adventure, friendships, and civic activities. He was born in Austin on July 12, 1964 to Eva and Peter Riley and was a product of Austin public schools. After college at Harvard, Chris returned to Austin to attend UT Law School.
Upon graduating from UT Law School, Chris worked at the Texas Supreme Court for five years and then for Shields and Rusk, later known as The Rusk Law Firm. In 1997, Chris co-founded the Downtown Neighborhood Association and was its president for five years. In 2001, Council Member Will Wynn appointed Chris to serve on the City of Austin Planning Commission. In 2002, Chris bought his home downtown and started renovating it.
He was an extraordinary civic leader – and served on the boards of the Austin History Center Association, the Austin Parks Foundation, Austin CarShare, Inc., and numerous city boards and task forces. In 2009, Chris was elected to the Austin City Council. He left the Council in 2015.
From 2015 to 2016, Chris lived in Brooklyn, New York, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Urban Placemaking and Management from Pratt Institute. He then returned to Austin and dove into nonprofit and advocacy work: notably with Safe Streets Austin, which represented a merger of Bike Austin, Walk Austin, and Vision Zero ATX. Chris worked tirelessly to make Austin friendlier for bikes and pedestrians and to create inviting public spaces in downtown Austin. The Giant Chess game at Wooldridge Square was a special love of his.
Chris lived according to his values. He believed we’re too dependent on cars, so he sold his car and biked everywhere. He felt more people should have the opportunity to live downtown, so he encouraged more central city housing and provided downtown housing himself.
His wife said, “In his memory, whenever you can, please reconsider driving to your destination, and think about taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking instead.”