Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA): Taking Public Involvement to New Heights

Problem

The City of Austin is outgrowing its airport, and city officials wanted help gathering input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders on how to plan for the ‘airport of the future.’ The ABIA 2040 Master Plan team needed to hear from a diverse group of users, stakeholders and adjacent communities so that the airport can serve 26+ million annual passengers within the next 20 years.

Solution

Adisa created a public involvement plan designed to engage industry stakeholders, airport neighbors and residents within the 21-county service area over an 18-month period. Nearly a dozen public and stakeholder meetings are planned over the course of the project, including meetings with a citizen-based Project Advisory Committee and an industry-based Technical Advisory Committee. In addition, Adisa is responsible for preparing informational materials including a website, fact sheet and public meeting displays in both English and Spanish languages.

Results

This project is currently underway, however, we have developed a look and feel for the project based on the Airport’s already established brand. Also, we have been able to accurately translate highly technical aviation planning concepts and terminology to make it accessible to non-experts and the general public.