WGI is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized across three categories by The Urban Land Institute‘s 2026 Impact Awards in Austin, TX.
The Confluence, part of the Waterloo Greenway system in downtown Austin, took home the Best Public Place award. WGI’s civil engineering team also earned nominations for Best Project Innovation for its work on RBJ Residences, and Next Big Idea for the ongoing redesign of Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park.
Presented annually, ULI Austin’s Impact Awards celebrate the projects and people shaping the future of the built environment in Greater Austin. The event brings together the region’s top real estate and land use professionals to honor achievements in development and community building, with categories spanning competitive built projects, transformative visions, individual leadership honors, and the Vision Award, ULI Austin’s highest recognition for a lifetime of contribution to the region.
Best Public Place: The Confluence
The Best Public Place award recognizes a completed project that provides the public with enhanced civic, open, or public space access and experiences.
The Confluence is the completed second phase of Waterloo Greenway, transforming 13 acres of Waller Creek into a continuous public landscape connecting downtown Austin to Lady Bird Lake. New trails, bridges, and gathering spaces expand equitable access to nature in the heart of the city. WGI provided civil engineering services supporting the transformation, continuing the firm’s involvement in the greenway since Waterloo Park’s completion in 2021.
Next Big Idea Nominee: Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park
The Next Big Idea award goes to an upcoming project, master planning effort, redevelopment, program, or idea with the potential to transform the industry and the community.
Austin Parks and Recreation is partnering with Waterloo Greenway Conservancy to restore Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park, currently in the design and permitting phase. WGI has led civil engineering through Schematic Design and Design Development, including utility and stormwater design, space planning support, and coordination with TxDOT and Austin Water Utility. The redesign centers community input, particularly around the park’s Mexican-American history, and will bring a rehabilitated historic shelter house, new play structures, improved drainage and ADA accessibility, a family pavilion, and public art honoring the park’s culture.
Best Project Innovation Nominee: RBJ Residences
The Best Project Innovation award highlights originality and creativity in development through adaptive reuse, sustainability, creative team organization, or cutting-edge design.
The Rebekah and The Lady Bird together form RBJ Residences, Central Texas’s largest affordable senior housing community, located in East Austin along Lady Bird Lake. The development provides 503 units for active adults. WGI led civil site design across the property, including conveyance of stormwater flow to detention and water quality elements.
Three Categories, One Continuous Waterway
The Confluence, RBJ Residences, and Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park sit at different points on the map and in the calendar: one completed, one occupied and serving residents, one still in design. What connects them is Waterloo Greenway and Lady Bird Lake, the same corridor WGI’s civil team has worked across since Waterloo Park opened in 2021. WGI is honored to be recognized alongside the partners and communities that shaped each project and looks forward to carrying that work through Palm Park’s design and into the greenway’s final phase.
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To learn more about WGI’s civil engineering and land development services, connect with our team today. From greenway corridors to affordable housing developments, WGI delivers exceptional civil engineering solutions that help Austin grow.
