UNStudio, HKS, and Gehl have been selected by the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) to lead the architecture and urban design of Project Connect, a major expansion of the city’s public transit system. The voter-approved investment includes new light rail, expanded bus routes, a subway, and more services across Austin.

Austin voters approved Project Connect in November 2020, followed by the formation of ATP, an independent organization created in partnership with the City of Austin and CapMetro. It will serve to oversee the finance and development of the project, which aims to improve access to essential jobs, health care, education, and entertainment in the city. 

Video courtesy UNStudio via Vimeo.

“The design team brings both broad international expertise delivering transit and public realm projects at the highest level of design and an acute sensitivity to Austin’s specific culture and heritage,” said Peter Mullan, ATP Executive Vice President for Architecture and Urban Design. “Project Connect gives us the opportunity to stitch our community together more closely and to adapt our core values to our continued growth and our increasingly urban future. To deliver on that promise, we need to bring a human-centered approach to the center of our design process, and this team brings that focus to our collective work.”

As detailed in a statement, the trio of firms will work to design a technologically advanced, human-centric transit experience in line with Austin’s culture and environment. The expanded transit system will include an extended light rail route to the airport, an underground light rail system downtown, priority bus lanes, improved stations, new pickup and drop-off locations, and new park-and-ride zones. 

Design research and visioning will begin this month and will continue through the project development phase. ATP is expected to share an updated light rail implementation plan this spring. In addition, an investment of $300 million towards Project Connect will be used to prevent the displacement of people and create more affordable places to live.