Austin leaders say the city is prepared for a slew of major events this spring, including a reimagined South by Southwest Conference & Festivals, and advised residents to be aware of impacts from traffic to public safety over the weeks ahead.

The details: Austin's Spring Festival Season kicks off this month with the official start of SXSW on March 12. The 40th edition of the festival will be spread across multiple hubs and venues in and around downtown, a change partially prompted by the multiyear redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center.

This year's spring season begins soon after a deadly mass shooting on West Sixth Street. Officials noted that incident left a different feeling for planners and attendees this month. Still, Austin's police, fire and emergency medical services departments remain ready to work and respond to the upcoming major events as usual.

From April 24-26, Dripping Springs community members will gather together to play games, eat local food, listen to live music and enjoy one of the city’s biggest annual celebrations.

Although the festival will look a little different this year, city officials say that they’re "keeping tradition alive" and that it’s "still going to be a great event."

What you need to know: The biggest change to the festival is the parade. While previous years have featured a driving parade with floats, a walking parade will take its place this April. Mayor Bill Foulds said this change was made due to safety concerns. Narrow roads, increased participants and other factors were noted as potential safety risks by city officials.

What they’re saying: Community response has been mixed, with many residents expressing disappointment with the change to the parade. Foulds said he agrees with those people and shares their frustration, but that the safety of participants is the city’s top priority.

Austin Community College announced a new partnership with the Round Rock-based Trellis Foundation to create an AI-driven system connecting students to support services, personalizing interventions and preparing students for an economy more prominently featuring AI technologies in day-to-day life. 

What you need to know: ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart said March 11 that this initiative, spearheaded by the community college and Trellis Foundation, will "lean in" to the AI-driven changes in the economy, seeking to meet the moment similar to that of previous large-scale changes, such as the Industrial Revolution or the introduction of computers. 

The initiative is supported by a $3 million federal grant to the ACC Center for Digital Innovation and eEntrepreneurship, which U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett said will be secured by a direct federal appropriation. 

What they're saying: "The question isn't whether AI will shape our future," Lowery-Hart said. "The question is whether higher education will lead in shaping how it's used. We can shape how it's used ethically with humans at the center of it, not in replacement of it."