Leander's transit oriented development district will be promoted in a new way after Leander City Council approved a marketing and branding campaign June 19.

The new marketing effort was designed by M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates and is intended to promote city leaders' vision of a mixed-use, urban downtown area that surrounds the city's Capital Metro train station, Leander Director of Development Services Tom Yantis said. branded as Destination Leander, new brochures and a website feature information about the TOD concept.

Yantis said the revised TOD marketing materials replace a previously suggested slogan of A Blank Canvas with a new slogan, A Fresh Start.

"[Gensler has] added some additional images of the built environment that is representative of what we're trying to achieve in the area," he said.

Connection—convenience—community is another theme of the new TOD marketing.

City Council in December 2013 hired Gensler to develop new TOD marketing materials for a cost of $54,000 for one year plus reimbursable expenses.

Gensler's work comes after the council declined another firm's proposal to market the TOD as Legacy Landing. That name and marketing direction sounded too old-fashioned, Councilman Jason Dishongh said on Jan. 13.

On May 1, City Council offered feedback to Gensler about the firm's original proposed logos and other images for brochures and websites. Council members said they preferred marketing themes that would better describe the concept of the TOD. On June 19, City Council members praised Gensler for responding to the council's critiques and modifying the proposed materials.

City Council is also considering other changes for the TOD, including revisions to the district's governing Smart Code and to the district's map. City Council is planning to review both sets of changes on July 3 and could give final votes on July 17.