The Mpact Transit + Community Conference (founded in Portland in 1995 as Rail~Volution) focuses on the interplay of transit, other types of mobility, land use and development in building great places to live - for everyone.
Mpact Transit + Community conference
Portland, Ore., October 26-29, 2025
Big, actionable ideas about cities —
how they move and thrive
For 30 years, shaping the conversation about transit-oriented communities and how work gets done!
Download the 2025 Conference Guide, with the lineup of all sessions, plenaries, Mobile Workshops and networking events. Use it to plan your time at #MpactPDX.
On the Conference Schedule, see details for the full lineup of Plenaries, Sessions, Pre-Conference Events and Mobile Workshops.
Local Hosts
Here’s what attendees say:
“This was one of the most engaging conferences I've attended.”
"I gained tons of information and ideas on ways to support my own work in my community."
"The cross-sector participation at Mpact is very unique and helps me look at the work I do from multiple perspectives."
"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."
"As someone whose practice has focused on building compact, walkable, transit-oriented urbanism, I appreciate the conference's focus on building transit-oriented places."
"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.”
"Definitely looking forward to bringing a larger contingent from our office to future conferences."
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Is your city or region embarked on transit expansion?
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Are you interested in finding out how to connect transit & mobility investments with development, land use and the built environment?
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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.
Photo: Stephen McDaniel, Pexel
Attend and deepen your knowledge of:
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Transit planning, multimodal planning, corridor planning, station area planning and design.
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Transit-oriented development, trail- and bike-oriented development, joint development, affordable housing and neighborhood development and placemaking.
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Policies and strategies to combat displacement.
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Project management for different modes.
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Technology and integration of new mobility options with transit.
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Community engagement, outreach tools, communication, data, campaigns and marketing. Advocacy for transit.
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Community development financing, capital financing, gap financing.
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 designing cities around transit and emerging mobility options, economic and small business development, workforce development, transit-oriented development (TOD), housing affordability and efforts to prevent displacement.
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.
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.
Photo: CJ Graglia. Pexel
Photo: Brett Sayles
Mark your calendar
With these key dates:
- Call for Speakers – The Call for Speakers closed March 21. Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal.
- 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 is open for the conference: 4 days, 60+ sessions, plenaries and networking events. Registration also is open for Mobile Workshops and Pre-Conference events; these have limited space and require separate fees, first-come, first-served. For best rates on conference registration and hotel, register by September 26.
- Scholarships – There are two scholarship opportunities in 2025. See Registration for details. The deadline to apply is July 31.
- Mpact Transit + Community Portland – October 26-29, 2025
