In March 2023, the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) announced the selection of UNStudio, HKS, and Gehl to lead the architecture and urban design of Project Connect, an expansion of Austin's public transportation system in Texas, United States. Led by ATP, the system aims to connect communities, enhance public spaces, and integrate with the city's evolving urban fabric. The design framework, developed by the four entities, establishes the foundation for how the light rail will interact with Austin's neighborhoods. The design team states that the project's priorities are in people-first infrastructure and the creation of dynamic public spaces, which they seek to reflect in the newly unveiled images. As a voter-approved initiative, Project Connect actively encourages public participation, allowing Austin residents to provide feedback throughout its development.
The initiative addresses Austin's rapid growth, which presents challenges to accessibility. Therefore, the project's primary objective is to create a human-centric transit system while improving mobility through an efficient and sustainable transportation network, according to the words of Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal Architect of UNStudio. The Austin Light Rail will feature 15 stations spanning nearly 10 miles of rail. Phase 1 aims to enhance the transit experience, connecting people to major job centers, educational hubs, and key Austin landmarks. The project also includes new pedestrian and cyclist pathways, an expanded tree canopy for shaded urban corridors, and a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake.
ATP, in collaboration with the consulting team led by UNStudio, HKS, and Gehl, conducted community outreach to ensure that the system reflects the city's character. The design images aim to convey the principles of intuitive, multimodal connectivity while fostering transit hubs that promote social interaction, support local businesses, and express Austin's identity. The firms' joint design guidelines consider the project at multiple scales, from individual user experiences to system-wide elements and site-specific opportunities.
These guidelines emphasize three main principles. First, each station is envisioned to be tailored to its surrounding neighborhood, creating distinct public spaces and encouraging alternative modes of transportation. Second, is the willingness to integrate sustainable solutions, defined so far in the inclusion of tree-lined streets and shaded public areas. Lastly, the third point stipulates that the new rail transportation system should be integrated with pedestrian, cycling, and other transit networks to allow for multi-modal connectivity.
Other major projects currently in development across the United States include the new terminal for San Antonio International Airport, designed by Corgan and Lake|Flato Architects; the Mass Timber Tower for Boston University's Pardee School, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro; and BIG's armadillo-shaped Athletics ballpark in Las Vegas. In the field of urban design and planning, significant initiatives include Field Operations and RIOS' transformation of Chicago's West Side United Center parking lots into a mixed-use neighborhood, Heatherwick Studio's revitalization of a historic elevated riverfront space in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and Perkins&Will's Florida Corridor Plan in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
