A yearlong examination of growth in northwest Arkansas continues this week with the Growing Home NWA Road Show. Earlier this year, we reported on the launch of the project. The Northwest Arkansas Council hired DPZ CoDesign to help develop a regional growth strategy as the area moves toward an estimated 1 million residents by 2050.
Tonight through a week from tonight, there are chances for the public to deliver input about how they do and don't want to see the growth evolve. The kickoff tonight will take place at City Hall in Centerton from 5:30 to 7:30.
Matthew Lambert, partner with DPZ CoDesign: We've taken all of that background and we want to share what we've heard and what we think maybe the direction should be set for the future and hear what people think. So we're looking for their input to really shape the way that we focus our strategy for how the region goes forward. So we've heard from some folks, we have some ideas, and now we want to test those with the broader public.
Kyle Kellams: And there are other events that are happening. Some virtual, there are some pop-ups. When you've got all of these experiences and all of these comments, what will happen then?
Matthew Lambert: We will take all that input. And don't forget, there's also a survey that's available on the Growing Home website. We will take all that information and then we will use that to determine, well, what are the strategies that are best for this region? Where does the region want to go? And we will do a great deal more investigation and analysis of how that should work to come up with a roadmap for the region to move forward, to address a lot of the problems that we're hearing from people: traffic, housing costs, rising utility rates and infrastructure issues, the loss of neighborliness and character, and the loss of rural lands.
So there's a whole lot to solve. And what we'll be doing is taking everyone's input to set that vision and describe a path that everybody can follow to work together to address these difficult but achievable challenges.
Kyle Kellams: What if someone's listening to this and says, yes, I'm very interested in this. I'm interested in the loss of rural land or I'm interested in housing or some of these things, but I don't feel I have any solutions. I don't know what I can offer at a public session. What would you say to that person?
Matthew Lambert: Well, we want to hear specifically how these sorts of issues are affecting them and their lives, and what they would like to see, what sort of future they see for themselves, for their family, for their friends and colleagues. They don't have to know the solutions, but understanding them, their lives, that helps us shape solutions that work for everyone.
Kyle Kellams: The kickoff is a very public, in-person sort of thing that you can plan for. There's that joint meeting of the Benton and Washington County quorum courts that takes place Monday where people can plan. I like that you've got a pop-up at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, because this is kind of going to where people are, and you might reach people that otherwise wouldn't have time to come to a meeting at night.
Matthew Lambert: Yeah. And they can come by at any time during the market. We'll be there the whole time.
Kyle Kellams: And you mentioned that survey. What does the survey ask, and where can people find it?
Matthew Lambert: They can find it on the website, growinghomenwa.com. It's just right there up front. And it asks some broad questions about the different issues that we've heard from folks and some of their preferences, or how those issues may be affecting them, and for them to provide any information.
So for example, we ask about traffic. Well, how does it affect you? And here are some solutions—do any of these appeal to you? And what are we missing? So we ask that around traffic and housing and infrastructure, utilities and rural character, and all these things that I've mentioned.
Kyle Kellams: Matthew Lambert is a partner with DPZ CoDesign, a firm hired by the Northwest Arkansas Council to help develop a regional strategy for expected continued growth.
The first public meeting is tonight at Centerton City Hall from 5:30 to 7:30. Other events include a virtual session tomorrow morning, the pop-up at the Fayetteville Farmers Market Saturday, and meetings next week in Springdale. All the details and the online survey can be found at growinghomenwa.com.
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