Heyden Black Walker is the Director of Planning at Black + Motal Architecture and Design in her hometown of Austin, Texas. She is a longtime advocate for active transportation, quality spaces for people, transportation safety, access, and walkability. Heyden has served on numerous citizen advisory groups, taskforces, and commissions, including as the inaugural chair of the City of Austin Pedestrian Advisory Council. She has served on the boards of The Congress of the New Urbanism – Central Texas chapter, Austin Outside, Walk Austin, and Reconnect Austin, where she led a 14-year campaign to reimagine the I-35 highway corridor through downtown Austin as quality urban space. Heyden is a founding board member of Safe Streets Austin and currently chairs the Board of Directors.
Heyden’s involvement with America Walks includes participation in the national Freeway Fighter Network and hosting Week Without Driving in Austin. She is a 2016 fellow of the National Walking College and has served as a mentor since 2020. In her free time Heyden loves taking long walks, traveling to walkable places, listening to live music, and spending time with her family.
