Austin Light Rail | UNStudio

Austin Light Rail is more than just a transit project, it is a transformative vision for the city’s future that redefines urban mobility through world-class urban and architectural design. Led by Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the system is designed to connect communities, enhance public space and integrate with the city’s evolving urban fabric.

The design framework, developed by ATP, in collaboration with UNStudio, HKS and Gehl sets the foundation for how the light rail will interact with Austin’s neighbourhoods, prioritising people-first infrastructure and dynamic public spaces.

Austin Light Rail will mark a fundamental shift in how people navigate through Austin. With 15 stations spanning nearly 10 miles of rail network, Austin Light Rail Phase 1 will offer an all-new transit experience, connecting people to major job centers, education hubs, and iconic Austin destinations. The project will provide extensive new pedestrian and cyclist paths, expanded tree canopy for shaded urban corridors, and a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake.

A Design-Driven Approach to Mobility and City Building:

ATP, in collaboration with the consulting team led by UNStudio, HKS and Gehl, conducted extensive community outreach to ensure that the system reflects the city’s character. UNStudio, HKS and Gehl worked collectively to develop a design framework that prioritizes intuitive, multimodal connectivity while fostering vibrant transit hubs for social interaction, local business activation, and expression of Austin’s unique identity.

People-Centered Performance-Based Design

Through extensive research, UNStudio, HKS and Gehl developed performance objectives across a variety of scales, from individual user journeys to system-wide elements, and site-specific opportunities. The resulting design guidelines are driven by inclusivity, neighbourhood integration, and sustainability:

Each station is envisioned to be tailored to its surrounding neighbourhood, creating distinct public spaces that invite the community in and encourage alternative modes of transportation.
Sustainable solutions, including tree-lined streets and shaded public areas, will help create a more comfortable and welcoming urban environment.
The system will integrate with pedestrian, cycling, and transit networks to allow for multi-modal connectivity.
The design team’s strategy integrates these considerations across the entire network to ensure that every feature enhances comfort, safety, navigation and cognitive impulses, as well as accessibility for all riders.

The Austin Light Rail project goes beyond infrastructure. Seamlessly integrating the light rail with existing neighbourhoods and other modes of transportation will help ensure that it becomes a vital resource for enhancing connections and creating vibrant community hubs.Copyright: WAX Architectural