Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) has invited UNS, alongside HKS and Gehl, to lead the architecture and urban design for the light rail program of Project Connect—a transformative expansion of Austin’s public transit system.

This collaboration brings together a multidisciplinary team of architects and planners with a shared commitment to innovation, local insight, and global expertise. With a portfolio that includes award-winning infrastructure projects in cities like Los Angeles, Melbourne, The Netherlands, Doha, and Beijing, the team is uniquely positioned to deliver a transit system that reflects Austin’s culture and values.

Peter Mullan, ATP Executive Vice President for Architecture and Urban Design, highlighted the significance of this partnership: “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. 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.”

Approved by Austin voters in November 2020, Project Connect represents a landmark investment in transit. The initiative is being implemented by ATP in partnership with the City of Austin, CapMetro, and the community, with equity, sustainability, and transparency as its guiding principles.

Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal Architect of UNS, shared his vision for the project: “Project Connect will create a human-centric transit system that celebrates Austin’s culture, history, and diversity, while making the city more accessible for all of its citizens through an efficient and sustainable transportation system. We are thrilled to contribute to the city of Austin in such a meaningful way alongside our partners HKS and Gehl.”

HKS, a global architecture, design, and planning firm with a strong presence in Austin, and Gehl, an urban strategy and design firm focused on public life and human experience, bring complementary expertise to the project. Together, the team will design a transit system that not only improves mobility but also enhances the quality of life for Austin’s residents.

Project Connect is more than a transit initiative—it’s a vision for a more livable, equitable, and sustainable Austin. By improving access to essential jobs, healthcare, education, and entertainment, the project aims to create a city that works for everyone.

The initiative also includes a $300 million investment to prevent displacement and create more affordable housing, ensuring that the benefits of improved transit are shared across all communities.

Get Involved
Citizens of Austin are invited to participate in shaping the future of their city through Project Connect. For more information and to get involved, visit Project Connect.

This is a pivotal moment for Austin, and UNS is honoured to play a role in designing a transit system that reflects the city’s unique identity while preparing it for a sustainable and connected future.

The Team
About UNS
UNS, founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, is a Dutch architectural design studio specialising in architecture, interior architecture, product design, urban development and infrastructural projects. The name, UNS, stands for United Network Studio referring to the collaborative nature of the practice. Centrally located offices in Amsterdam, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai, Frankfurt and Melbourne enable UNS to work efficiently anywhere in the world. With a passion for innovation at the heart of their work, their designs stand for quality, originality, optimism and intelligence.

About HKS
HKS is a global firm of architects, designers, planners and advisors who create places noted for their beauty and performance. Our 1,500 people in 26 offices are united by the belief that an environmental, social and governance approach to design achieves design excellence. We value honesty, diversity and inclusion and we celebrate creative thinking. In partnership with our clients and collaborators, we craft powerful ideas and solutions. Together we create places that stand apart.

About Gehl
Gehl is an urban design and research consultancy offering expertise in the fields of architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, and city planning. Headquartered in Copenhagen, with US hubs in San Francisco and New York City, Gehl is a networked organization working globally on urban strategy in a wide range of contexts. Gehl partners directly with both public and private sector clients to envision better futures and better outcomes for people. We address global trends with a holistic, people-focused approach, utilizing empirical analysis to understand how the built environment can promote well-being. We apply this analysis to strategic planning and human-centered design to empower citizens, decision-makers, company leaders, and organizations.

About ATP
Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) is the independent entity, accountable, and responsible for the financing, design, construction, and overall implementation of Project Connect—the transformative, voter-approved investment in new transit services. ATP’s charge is to deliver on the Austin voters’ transit vision in partnership with the City of Austin, CapMetro, and the community – and in a way that embeds equity, sustainability, and transparency as overarching priorities.