New Urbanism and Its Influences in Northwest Arkansas

We created a Google map—and a drawn illustration above—of places in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) that have either shaped or been shaped by our movement that prioritizes walkability, human-scale design, and compact, mixed-use development. The map was created in honor of CNU 34, being held in Northwest Arkansas on May 12-16. CNU created similar maps for Providence, Cincinnati, and Charlotte.

Northwest Arkansas—particularly cities like Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale—has become an uncommon laboratory for urbanist experimentation. Over the past few decades, the region has embraced design strategies aligned with New Urbanist ideals: mixed-use neighborhoods, interconnected street networks, and lively public spaces. The map can be added on to as a “living archive” of urbanism in one of America’s fastest-growing regions.

The map catalogs 29 places that embody the ideals and ideas of New Urbanism. Some locations represent direct applications of New Urbanist principles, while others serve as precedents—earlier developments, historic downtowns, or influential spaces that informed the movement’s philosophy.

The four downtowns have undergone dramatic revitalizations—each has become a model for small to mid-sized cities across the US. The region is also growing with new urban centers, like Uptown Rogers and the new Walmart Home Office. 

NWA has a few neighborhood-scale New Urbanist developments, including the early example of Har-Ber Meadows, which features several New Urbanist design elements and began in the late 1990s. A more recent New Urbanist town center, Johnson Square, shows how these design ideas have evolved to the present day.

Northwest Arkansas has excellent Main Street towns, such as Siloam Springs and Eureka Springs, that set a strong precedent for new mixed-use centers. The Razorback Greenway, a 40-mile trail, connects the major cities in the region. Along with an innovative planning scheme, the Greenway provides the framework for compact growth that could transform Northwest Arkansas in the coming decades. 

The map includes three CNU-sponsored Legacy Projects that are likely to impact the region over the long term. La Plaza District is an ambitious retrofit of a suburban commercial area to the west of downtown Rogers. Cave Springs and Elm Springs are villages that could become more walkable, mixed-use places as the region grows. 

The map also highlights key public spaces in the region, such as the squares in Bentonville and Fayetteville, which serve as a nexus for community and mixed-use development. New Urbanism and Its Influences in Northwest Arkansas offers a great way to explore how urbanist thinking has impacted and continues to transform this region.

Note: Thanks to the members of the CNU 34 local host committee who helped put this map together.