AUSTIN, Texas – October 18, 2022 – ULI Austin, an education, research and resource organization focused on shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, today released Walkshed Considerations in anticipation of Project Connect, Austin’s high-capacity transit system expansion.

The considerations were created by the organization’s Transportation Strategic Council, which convenes public, private and non-profit entities to discuss and impact local issues related to mobility access across Central Texas. ULI Austin’s Strategic Councils serve as a source of objective information on urban planning, growth and development.

Walkshed is the area that is reachable to a person on foot and is defined by the paths available for pedestrians to reach their destination. An area’s walkshed impacts efforts to encourage alternative means of transportation, as well as walkability scores for affordable housing.

Walkshed is particularly important in Austin as additional high-capacity and high-frequency transit is built through Project Connect and access to those transit lines and stops for community members will affect the overall success of the project. Walkshed is equally important in new communities as they plan access to amenities, commercial zones, and municipal services.

The Walkshed considerations offered solutions to four key barriers, including:

• Block length
  • Wide intersections with no medians, multiple driveways along corridors, unmarked legal pedestrian crossings and no protected infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians
• Dead-end streets
  • Cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets separating housing from work, entertainment, dining and transit
• Development backed to community
  • Disconnected streets, disconnected residential neighborhoods and separated commercial/industrial uses keep households from walkable access to key resources
• Railroad tracks and creek
  • Railroad tracks, creeks and greenspaces act as barriers to connectivity between residential and commercial/entertainment destinations

The Walkshed considerations include visuals of examples of existing barriers throughout Austin, accompanied by solutions to optimize connectivity and improve public safety.

About ULI Austin:

The Austin District Council of the Urban Land Institute was founded in 1994. Today, the Austin District Council includes more than 1,000 Austin-area professionals in the planning, architecture, design, engineering, investor, landscape, lender, legal, construction, communication and government industries, involved in every sector of real estate development, from residential and retail to commercial and hospitality. ULI Austin is known for its topical monthly breakfasts, which feature local and international experts on topics important to the community’s growth and prosperity. For more information, visit Austin.ULI.org.