A Home Team Win: Multidisciplinary Student Team Wins National ULI Urban Design Competition

Dozens of student teams from across the country analyzed a parcel of land within Hancock Center, a commercial plaza north of downtown Austin. Students were tasked with acting as master developers, proposing a 10‑year plan to transform the complex site into a resilient district that addressed housing affordability and mobility. Each team was required to work in a multifaceted way, incorporating design, planning, market potential and feasibility into their development strategies. 

UT Austin’s winning team is composed of team leader Michael Alada (Master of Community and Regional Planning & Master of Science in Sustainable Design), Anushka Deshpande (Master of Urban Design), Meng-Shin Lin (Master of Community and Regional Planning & Master of Science in Sustainable Design), Sushmita Gautam (Master of Urban Design), and Josh Hu (Master of Business Administration). Their proposal, “The GreenLink,” transforms the existing shopping center into a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood, where healthcare and housing exist in harmony, and where the highway’s wound becomes a place of renewal. The proposal integrates cap-and-stitch infrastructure to create a sustainable mixed-income hub, mending the socioeconomic gap between East and West Austin and fostering connection through a central green corridor.  

“We are most excited about the green infrastructure, wellness features, elements of circularity, and being able to transform 41st Street,” Alada says, reflecting on the project. Their proposal aligned with the city’s goals pertaining to sustainability, safety and growth accommodation, as Austin has goals for carbon-free energy by 2035, and 2040 net-zero commitment. “We are aware that water reuse and conservation is a big deal, especially with population growth. We conducted extensive water research for on-site irrigation and reuse, and we were even able to find incentive programs to help us with financial feasibility of both water and energy features.” 

This is the third time a team from The University of Texas at Austin has won the ULI Competition, which aims to generate interest among young people in creating better communities and increasing awareness of the need for multidisciplinary solutions to development and design challenges. "It is the perfect combination when the planners and urban designers meet,” Alada notes. “Not only are we multidisciplinary, but we are also multicultural, bringing a local and global point of view in our design thinking."  

“Universities are uniquely situated to push the conversation forward, outside of the influences of the professional and political environments,” said Professor Dean Almy, reflecting on the importance of the competition and UT Austin’s success in the program. “As a public institution, The University of Texas at Austin has an even further obligation to do so.”