Regional Growth Strategy Released: Leaders gather for first look

Year-long effort shows how focused growth can lower costs and strengthen Northwest Arkansas.

A regional growth strategy released today outlines how Northwest Arkansas can manage rapid growth, lower long-term costs and strengthen communities as the region approaches 1 million residents by 2050.

The Northwest Arkansas Council’s Growing Home NWA regional growth strategy reflects more than a year of research, analysis and engagement with residents, local officials and business leaders. The work was developed in partnership with DPZ CoDesign and PlaceMakers and informed by analysis from Urban3, Crafton Tull and other contributors. The work was made possible through support from the Walton Family Foundation.

The strategy builds on work already underway across the region, including transportation planning, wastewater studies, zoning updates and downtown investment strategies, and brings those efforts together into a shared regional framework.

Northwest Arkansas ranks among the 20 fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States and is adding 40 residents per day, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

“Growth creates opportunity, but it puts pressure on housing, infrastructure and the cost of living,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “How we grow will determine whether we stay competitive, affordable and connected while protecting the community character that makes this region special.”

“Northwest Arkansas is at a defining moment,” said Matt Lambert, partner at DPZ CoDesign. “The choices made now will determine whether growth strengthens communities and builds long-term value or compounds mounting costs. This strategy provides a framework to align infrastructure and development so growth strengthens the region as a whole.”

The strategy was the centerpiece of the Northwest Arkansas Council’s Spring Meeting, where regional leaders discussed the findings, highlighted key priorities and shared perspectives on what the strategy could mean for Northwest Arkansas if its long-term goals are realized.

The Council also shared a video that introduces the strategy and what it means for the region. 

https://vimeo.com/1183149007

Growth Patterns Determine Long-Term Costs

Development patterns drive long-term costs for households and local governments. Many cities are growing outward in ways that require extending roads, utilities and services over greater distances, driving up public costs. Small cities remain heavily weighted toward single-family housing, limiting housing options and increasing land consumption.

If current patterns continue, the urbanized area of Northwest Arkansas could consume roughly 59 additional square miles of land by 2050, an area larger than the current size of Fayetteville, the region’s largest city. A more focused approach would reduce that to 37 square miles and generate an estimated $340 million annual surplus that can be invested in infrastructure, services and community priorities.

Peacock said one goal is to make sure growth carries more of its own cost. When growth aligns with infrastructure and community needs, it reduces costs and strengthens communities. When it does not, those costs are felt over time.

A Regional Strategy Built Around Six Priorities

Six priorities identified in the strategy should guide growth and help address the region’s most pressing challenges. Those recommendations include:

1. Anchor growth in strong downtowns and community centers to support local economies and generate more value per acre

2. Align development with existing infrastructure to reduce long-term public costs

3. Expand housing options to support residents at every stage of life and at a wider range of price points

4. Improve transportation connections to reduce congestion and shorten daily trips across the region

5. Coordinate water, wastewater and stormwater systems across communities to reduce duplication 

6. Strengthen regional collaboration to align decisions across cities and counties

These priorities are designed to shape how the region grows over time by directing investment to the places that can support it and reducing the long-term cost of infrastructure and services.

That matters because housing, transportation, infrastructure and economic development are connected, and decisions in one area affect outcomes across the region.

Stronger Centers and Regional Coordination Will Be Critical

Many of the region’s small cities have a clear opportunity to strengthen long-term economic viability.

More than a dozen communities are well positioned to invest in downtowns and primary commercial corridors. The Urban3 analysis that was part of this project shows ways these downtowns and commercial corridors can be improved to allow cities to generate more tax revenue without changing tax rates.

“Johnson Square has transformed our community and created a stronger foundation for growth,” said Johnson Mayor Chris Keeney. “It’s become a place where people want to spend time, and that kind of investment supports the city over the long term. It shows how focusing development in the right places strengthens a community and gives others a path forward.”

Many systems that shape daily life already operate at a regional scale across Northwest Arkansas.

Housing markets cross city boundaries. Workers commute between communities. Water and wastewater systems serve multiple jurisdictions. Yet planning decisions are often made locally, shifting costs rather than reducing them.

Stronger coordination across cities and counties, particularly in wastewater, stormwater and other regional infrastructure systems, will be critical to reducing duplication and lowering long-term costs.

“Northwest Arkansas has experienced remarkable growth, and in Bentonville we’ve spent years planning for how that growth affects infrastructure, housing and long-term capacity,” said Bentonville Mayor Stephanie Orman. “We’re seeing that systems like wastewater, transportation and utilities don’t stop at city boundaries. Meeting future growth will require coordination across communities and strong governance so we can manage costs responsibly and ensure Northwest Arkansas continues to grow in a way that strengthens our communities.”

Housing, Transportation and Cost of Living Are Connected

Housing, transportation and infrastructure must be addressed together. Housing supply has not kept pace with demand, limiting options and increasing costs. Residents are traveling farther for work and to meet daily needs, and households now spend roughly $3 billion annually on transportation, reflecting longer trips and limited connectivity.

At the same time, across Northwest Arkansas, new housing is concentrated in a narrow range of product types, even as demand continues to diversify across price points, household sizes and life stages.

Rising land prices and infrastructure costs make it important for communities to support more compact development patterns that reduce long-term infrastructure costs and support future transportation options.

Many of these challenges are not driven by any single decision. They are the result of how financing, land use regulations and infrastructure investments interact over time. Today, those systems often reward the development patterns that are easiest to deliver, not the ones that best meet the region’s needs.

“Rogers has taken steps to update our development code and think differently about how we grow, including allowing a wider range of housing types,” said Rogers Mayor Greg Hines. “The Growing Home strategy validates that approach and creates a shared framework so communities across Northwest Arkansas can grow in ways that make sense locally while still aligning across the region.”

What Comes Next

The Growing Home NWA regional growth strategy includes the Regional Vision and Growth Strategies Companion Report. The first three supporting strategy documents published today focus on housing and development, transportation and mobility, and infrastructure and stormwater.

Additional reports focused on regional character, funding and finance, and regional governance and will be shared in the coming weeks.

These documents set the direction for Northwest Arkansas and identify the actions, investments and partnerships needed to move it forward.

The Council will move directly from strategy to action, advancing the plan’s priorities through coordinated efforts across Northwest Arkansas.

Beginning in May, the Council expects to convene regional leaders, stakeholders and partners to define roles and responsibilities for implementation. Early efforts will focus on identifying near-term actions, establishing working groups and defining clear ownership and metrics to track progress over time.