Mpact Transit + Community conference
Toronto, Ontario, September 14-17, 2026
The Mpact Transit + Community Conference (founded 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.
Registration is Open!
Download the Schedule at a Glance
for titles and times for 50+ Sessions, 3 Plenaries & Networking Events, including the Mpact PK Slam, as well as 30 + Mobile Workshops in Toronto and across the region (for which separate fees apply)
Check out details on the Conference Schedule. More information about sessions added every day!
Draw on this sample letter to make your case to attend.
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Is your city or region focusing 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.
Thank You 2026 Diamond, Platinum & Gold Sponsors!
See all 2026 sponsors & exhibitors here. Join them by June 30 to ensure full benefits.
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."
"This is the only conference I have attended that has the perfect blend of transit (including rail) and TOD. I also very much enjoy the mobile tours and networking opportunities."
"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."
"I greatly appreciated the many ways in which participants could interact - walking tours, presentation sessions, table connections and networking events."
"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."
“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."
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.
#MpactTO26 - Get to Know Toronto and the Region
We are excited to be in Toronto this September
The Greater Toronto Area, situated along and above the shores of Lake Ontario, has one of the most extensive and varied transit systems in North America, including buses, bus rapid transit, streetcars, light rail, subway, regional rail and - in development - high speed rail, as well as robust bicycling and pedestrian options. In downtown and suburban communities, there’s a diversity of transit-oriented developments, from high-rise to ultra-high, from master-planned mixed use to cooperative residential towers to laneway housing.
Huge thanks to our Local Host Committee, including Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and other local stakeholders.
See and Explore in Toronto
Toronto offers so many places and destinations to explore - accessible via transit, bicycling, walking or ferries. Conference Mobile Workshops will delve into these and many other stories in Toronto and across the region.
Evergreen Brick Works are located on the historic site of the former Don Valley Brick Works and quarry—the site that made the bricks that built Toronto. In 2010, Evergreen transformed a collection of deteriorating heritage buildings into a global showcase for green design and an award-winning public space.
Mirvish Village
An area of Toronto (at Bloor St W and Bathurst) with significant changes over time, including new housing amidst older houses and commercial blocks. Get the vibe of the area's past via this photo post and this short film from Spacing.ca. Find out about designs for a new park on the former Honest Ed's site, part of a new mixed-use residential development project in the surrounding Mirvish Village.
Located under and around the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses, Underpass Park is the most extensive park ever built under an overpass in Canada, and the first ever in Toronto. Featuring a big playground, basketball and skateboard facilities as well as open space, Underpass park gives residents ways to connect between the north and south sections of the neighbourhood.
The Toronto Islands are home to beautiful beaches, parks and bike paths as well as a small residential community. For thousands of years the islands have been a site of healing, ceremony and gathering for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous communities.
This is Ontario's Infrastructure Moment!
The region is in the midst of a huge transit expansion, with more than CAD$80 billion invested in:
- 40+ km (25+ mi) of new subway lines
- 50+ km (31 + mi) of new light rail transit
- 200+ km (124+ mi) of new regional rail
- 36+ km (22+ mi) of bus rapid transit
- 100 new stations and stops
Collectively, this work spans 50 municipalities and involves more than 600 elected officials and more than 1500 stakeholder groups.
The goal? To expand access to jobs and housing, reach underserved areas and ensure a resilient future.
About the Mpact Transit + Community conference
For more than 30 years, our conference (founded in Portland, Ore., in 1995 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.
Humber Day Bridge, Lake Shore Boulevard West. Credit: Destination Toronto
Mobile Workshops • Sessions • Plenaries • Networking
Through more than 50 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.
Key Dates for #MpactTO26
- Call for Speakers - Opened January 14 and closed February 23.
- Mpact Innovators Call for Posters - for students and emerging professionals. Opens March 23 and closes May 1.
- Conference Scholarships and the Mark J. Bassett Design Scholarships - Open May 8 and close June 30.
- Conference Registration, Hotel & Travel Information - Pre-registration opens April 20. Full registration opens May 27. Register by August 24 for best rates on the conference and hotel. If you’re not from Canada, make sure your passport is up to date.
- Sponsors & Exhibitors - Showcase your company or organization with a North American audience. Sign up by April 17 to be recognized in conference promotion. Sign up by June 30 to ensure full benefits.
- Mpact Transit + Community Toronto - September 14 - 17, 2026. Note: the conference schedule is different this year, starting on Monday rather than Sunday and finishing on Thursday. The Mpact Innovators' PK Slam will be Wednesday night.
