In 2020, Austin voters approved Project Connect, a robust program of projects that will increase and enhance the city’s transportation options. The new infrastructure has the potential to make communities around transit stations even more vibrant. But development can often mean displacement, as rising real estate prices push people further out. With the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Study, CapMetro, the City of Austin, and the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) have centered the voices of vulnerable populations to implement policies that address gentrification and displacement. 

Nelson\Nygaard led the multidisciplinary team including Perkins&Will, HRA Advisors, Asakura Robinson, Cultural Strategies, and Movitas Mobility that supported CapMetro on all facets of the multi-year ETOD Study. While many of the project deliverables are already available to the public—such as the ETOD Policy Plan and the ETOD Priority Tool—the summary released this week provides an easily digestible encapsulation of the vision for the study, work to date, and concrete steps for how the study will be implemented.  

“These policies and subsequent reports will help us be more intentional about the development around our city and our stations, minimize displacement, and help combat our affordability crisis,” said Sharmila Mukherjee, CapMetro’s chief strategic planning and development officer.  

Learn more about how CapMetro and its partner agencies developed a framework that elevates the voices of underrepresented communities in the newly published summary here.