‘Defining moment’ of Northwest Arkansas growth discussed at council meeting

Northwest Arkansas business and civic leaders have a lot to do to best manage ongoing and expected growth in Benton and Washington counties. That management was the strategy focus Northwest Arkansas Council officials outlined Wednesday (April 15) at their semi-annual meeting.

The meeting, held at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, addressed the council’s “growing home” strategy.

Staring at 1 million Northwest Arkansas metro residents by 2050 may seem a bit much, but the metro’s population has increased from 325,000 in 2010 to more than 622,000 at last count in late 2025. Nelson Peacock, CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said that growth is accelerating. Between 1994 and 2010, the region averaged 23 new residents per day, with the average now around 40 people per day and expected to be 43 through 2050.

Peacock said the only way to stop growth is to become a place where people don’t want to live, and that’s not the mindset in the region.

“We want to find ways to leverage the growth and we could do it in the right way,” he said. “And that’s why we’ve asked national experts to come in to help us to align what they’ve seen in other communities with what we’ve heard from community members as we’ve engaged with them so in so many regards, this report is by the residents that live in Northwest Arkansas, because it’s grounded in the things they told us that were important.”

He said the growth has pressure on housing, infrastructure and the cost of living.

“How we grow will determine whether we stay competitive, affordable and connected while protecting the community character that makes this region special,” he said.

GROWTH PLANS
The council enlisted the help of Miami-based DPZ CoDesign, Placemakers, Urban3, and Crafton Tull to help compile data and conduct research. The Walton Family Foundation also sponsored the effort.

“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 report highlights the need for more cohesive urban planning to reduce the sprawl which eats up green spaces and increases costs with more roads, utility lines, and services spread over greater distances that drain city budgets and drive up public costs.

If the development continues, Northwest Arkansas could consume roughly 59 additional square miles of land by 2050 – an area larger than the size of Fayetteville. The report suggests the size could be reduced to 37 square miles by focusing more on growing in areas where infrastructure exists through redevelopment and higher-density housing options that are affordable. That reduction would provide $340 million that could be invested in infrastructure, services and community priorities, according to the council.

Peacock said growth has to carry more of its own cost by aligning with infrastructure and community so that costs can come down and communities can be strengthened.

SMALL TOWN FOCUS
A key element in the strategy is to anchor growth near downtowns and community centers to support local economies and generate more value per acre. Johnson Mayor Chris Keeney said small towns can create meeting places with commerce and mixed-use developments.

“But it was clear from the community that having good gathering places really adds to the health of the community,” he said. “The more I thought about this over time, is that you can have a city without a sense of community, and you can have a community with no city, but if you have them together, they are mutually beneficial. And what I’ve noticed is that we also have a larger community as we are drawing people who come from outside of Johnson.”

Keeney made those remarks during a panel discussion with Peacock, Meredith Bergstrom, senior program officer for the Home Region at the Walton Family Foundation, and Susan Henderson, principal at PlaceMakers. Kyle Kellams, news director at KUAF and host of Ozarks at Large, moderated the discussion. Henderson said city leaders want to maintain individual identity and protect rural landscapes.

“They want to protect all of that and still have economic development and growth to house people and welcome new people,” Henderson said.

HOUSING CHALLENGE, NON-PROFIT SUPPORT
Housing is the big challenge, given the cost to build. The report indicates a need to expand housing options to support residents at every stage of life and at a wider range of price points. Keeney said there was initially a fear in Johnson of multifamily housing. He said it took many meetings before residents became comfortable with mixed-use spaces and apartment projects.

Henderson said Salt Lake City in Utah is a poster child for best managing growth.

“That’s partly because they began early enough that they did not completely get buried in growth,” she said. “(T)hey crafted their growth early enough to avoid unfortunate built environments. They were unified, and it was a multi-county and municipality approach — 30 cities across the big region. They had leadership. You all are good at that with some strong leadership, now it’s about learning to collaborate.”

Peacock said the council will work to strengthen regional collaboration and align decisions across cities and counties. That includes coordinating water, wastewater, and stormwater systems to reduce duplication. The other strategy focus involves improving transportation connections to reduce congestion and shorten daily trips.

Bergstrom said Northwest Arkansas’ prosperity and growth are connected with the nonprofit world. Some of what stood out for her in the report was that it was grounded in what people are really feeling — concerns about housing affordability, traffic congestion, and a potential loss of character.

“The strategy connects those concerns,” she said. “It reflects that these things are happening across municipal boundaries. And so ultimately, I think this is about collaboration. Every sector has to be involved. And when we plan growth happening as a region, then that’s when we can lay a better path. And I think when we do this right, the growth that we’re facing feels like opportunity and not pressure.”

She said conversations are needed to include non-profits and foundations to address the challenges.

Peacock said over the next six weeks the council will move from strategy to action, advancing the plan’s priorities through coordinated regional efforts. Beginning in May, the council expects to convene regional leaders, stakeholders and partners to define strategy roles and responsibilities. Early efforts will focus on identifying near-term actions, establishing working groups, and defining clear ownership and metrics to track progress.