Jonesboro residents share concerns about growth during the next 30 years

Hundreds of residents have participated in the planning stages of the city of Jonesboro’s 30-year plan efforts and several themes are emerging, according to city officials. Among the top concerns are expanded local activities, safer, more connected roads, traffic infrastructure that keeps pace with growth, and expanded parks, trails and outdoor recreation.

Residents shared these requests at a series of meetings that were held late last month and earlier this month. DPZ CoDesign and Crafton Tull led the meetings.

“The biggest takeaway from Design Week was that real-time, interactive engagement with the community leads to stronger and more grounded ideas,” said Matt Lambert, partner with DPZ CoDesign. “Residents were able to clearly express not only what they want, they were also able to respond to ideas for key areas of the city.”

Throughout the week, residents were able to point out specific areas that they feel should be examined closely by the design team and city leaders. Beverly Parker of Keep Jonesboro Beautiful highlighted the opportunity for reinvestment in key corridors, such as Johnson Avenue and the Gee Street area.

“This is an opportunity to rethink how we design our roadways – not just for function, but to create safe, beautiful spaces that enhance the experience for everyone who uses them,” Parker said.

By the end of the week, the conversation had shifted from ideas to early concepts. The closing open house gave residents a chance to see how their input was already shaping ideas for key areas across the city.

Council member Janice Porter said participating reinforced for her the planning department’s genuine commitment to incorporating public input wherever possible, rather than relying on a leadership-only approach.

“I believe we should be thoughtful about how we allocate essential businesses like grocery stores across the city, making them more accessible while also reducing traffic congestion,” Porter said. “Just as important, I want every resident, regardless of their neighborhood, to have safe, inviting opportunities to walk or bike to parks, restaurants, and shops.”

City staff noted that Design Week also reinforced the importance of continued investment in the city’s core and the need to maximize existing infrastructure.

“It is hard to put into words just how important Design Week and public input meetings are to building this comprehensive plan,” said Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver. “Good things do not happen by accident; they happen through planning and in order to know what our community needs and wants, we must hear from them. Community engagement is the driving force behind building the blueprints. Get involved. Make your voice heard. Be a proud resident of Jonesboro.”