Transit + Community

Conference

Mpact Transit + Community

Portland, OR, October 26-29
Celebrating 30 Years!

Graphic of train with vibrant art behind it
Streetcar downtown Portland. Credit Brett Sayles

Photo:  Brett Sayles, Pexel.

In 2025, we're heading back to Portland, Oregon, where the vision for building livable communities around transit first took shape!

The Call for Speakers Opens February 19.

Mpact Transit + Community conference
October 23-26, 2025
Portland, Oregon

The Mpact Transit + Community Conference (founded in Portland in 1995 as Rail~Volution) focuses on the interplay of transit, mobility, land use and development in building great places to live - for everyone.
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2025 Local Hosts:

2025 hosts
  • Is your city or region embarked on transit expansion?
  • Are you interested in finding out how to connect transit & mobility investments with development, land use and the built environment?
  • Do you want to leverage investments for maximum community benefit?

Join us for the next Mpact Transit + Community Conference. Network and learn with cross-sector stakeholders. Join with others dedicated to taking a community-first approach to transit, mobility and development projects.

Bus in Portland. Credit Brett Sayles

Photo:  Stephen McDaniel, Pexel

Here’s what attendees say:

"The cross-sector participation at Mpact is very unique and helps me look at the work I do from multiple perspectives."

"As someone whose practice has focused on building compact, walkable, transit-oriented urbanism, I appreciate the conference's focus on building transit-oriented places."

“This was one of the most engaging conferences I've attended.”

"As a housing/planning professional I learned SO MUCH."

“Really just being in the same place as so many people who value transit as a necessary part of a more equitable world is what it’s all about.”

"I gained tons of information and ideas on ways to support my own work in my community."

"Definitely looking forward to bringing a larger contingent from our office to future conferences."

"As a first-time conference attendee, I loved the camaraderie I experienced. The lovely people were a strong reason I can't wait to come back."

person waits for MAX train at Yanhill District stop in Portland, flowering trees and buildings in the backdrop

Photo: Brett Sayles

Mark your calendar

With these key dates:

  • Call for Speakers – Opens February 19 and closes March 21.
  • Sponsors & Exhibitors – May 14 is the deadline for early recognition in our conference brochure and conference promotion. August 15 is the deadline to receive full benefits.
  • Conference Registration – Registration for the conference (4 days, 60+ sessions, plenaries and networking events) opens June 20. Registration also opens June 20 for Mobile Workshops and Pre-Conference events; these require separate fees and are first-come, first-served. For best rates on conference registration and hotel, register by September 26.
  • Scholarships – Info to come
  • Mpact Transit + Community Portland – October 23 - 26, 2025
Stacks of yellow dots

Thank you 2024 Sponsors! 

See all 2024 sponsors & exhibitors here

Attend and deepen your knowledge of:

  • Transit planning, multimodal planning, corridor planning, station area planning and design.
  • Transit-oriented development, trail- and bike-oriented development, joint development, affordable housing and neighborhood development and placemaking.
  • Policies and strategies to combat displacement. Transit equity.
  • Project management for different modes.
  • Technology and integration of new mobility options with transit.
  • Community engagement, outreach tools, communication, data, campaigns and marketing. Advocacy for transit.
  • Community development financing, capital financing, gap financing.
Stacks of light gray dots
Stacks of light gray dots

For nearly 30 years, our conference (founded as Rail~Volution) has shaped the vision for transit-oriented communities, in which people of all backgrounds and abilities can connect with each other and reach the places they need to thrive. We’ve influenced policies, planning and the way projects are delivered.

From the beginning, we’ve focused on this idea: that for any new mobility or development project, the people involved should see the project as a way to advance the kind of community they want to live in.

Achieving this is easier said than done. The Mpact Transit + Community Conference is the place to share both challenges and innovative solutions, to exchange best practices and push for the next breakthrough.

The four days of the Mpact Transit + Community conference provide a diversity of ideas and approaches that boost your capacity to collaborate, innovate, communicate and lead.

Man by bikeshare_Portland_pexels-cj-graglia-900x600

Photo: CJ Graglia. Pexel

A group of people boarding a train. Credit Valley Metro

Mobile Workshops • Sessions • Plenaries • Networking

Through more than 60 conference sessions as well as plenaries and networking events, attendees delve into issues facing cities and regions everywhere, including climate change, transit-oriented development, housing affordability and designing cities around transit and emerging mobility options. Sessions focus on planning, design, finance, communications, policy, community engagement and innovations in technology. Through our signature Mobile Workshops participants experience the conference city first-hand and learn directly from local practitioners, leaders and advocates how projects were done.

The annual Mpact Transit + Community conference is the product of our network.

  • Our National Steering Committee, a group of cross sector practitioners who work at Mpact Partner companies and organizations, puts together conference sessions, drawing on the topics and presenters submitted in our Call for Speakers. The National Steering Committee works to include a diversity of perspectives, geographies and backgrounds.
  • The local host committee organizes mobile workshops, pre-conference events, the Welcome Reception and regional day.
  • Our new leaders group organizes networking events and innovative learning opportunities as a way to welcome people new to the conference and our vision for transit-oriented communities.
Attendees conversing with one another

National Steering Committee

Learn More

Group together inside a train. Credit SEPTA

Local Host Committee

Learn More

Group of friends waiting the train in the platform of subway station.

Mpact Innovators

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