The Northwest Arkansas Planning Commission has been around since 1966. Today, their primary responsibilities are to plan local transportation in collaboration with neighboring counties and Missouri to ensure continuity in design and commitment to quality. They prepare long-term transportation plans – the shortest of which look twenty years into the future – with the hope of creating roadways, bridges, and bikeways that are consistent with the wants and needs of future generations.
Tim Conklin, the Executive Director, felt that the most important work of the commission is their unique undertaking to bring together 31 cities in Benton County and Washington County to collaborate on regional decisions. Northwest Arkansas is polycentric, meaning it does not have a central city to delegate, forcing the commission to use creative decision-making to ensure all cities throughout the area can come to agree when it comes to such important topics.
After all, Conklin spoke to his organization's vital work: “We are building cities, but really we are building community”. This assertion makes it easier to understand the recent emphasis on growing infrastructure like sidewalks and greenways to allow citizens to further enjoy the nature of the region.
When discussing the commission’s effect on housing in the area, he emphasized the importance of regional transportation. With growing costs of living, he acknowledged that it has become more difficult in recent years for every citizen to own a car, thus making it more important to expand infrastructure for walkability and bike-ability through cities and to build up public transit systems.
Traditionally, the most affordable housing options are found quite far from city centers, requiring those with tighter budgets to drive further for work or other daily activities. Over time, this leads to greater traffic and frustration. When considering how to use public transit to fix such problems, it can be complex because there is a lack of housing on major thoroughfares, so creating regional bus lines to line up with where most people need it can be difficult. It is easy to understand how complex these problems can be to remedy, but the commission does an amazing job staying connected with local partners and the wishes of current residents.
In recent years, Conklin has found himself called to address most often the rapid growth in Northwest Arkansas. According to a census from 2022, Northwest Arkansas is gaining 36 people a day, which means that the current population will have doubled by 2045. There is a constant need to discuss potential solutions for transportation and infrastructure because they must find a way to fit a higher population into the area while maintaining current amenities. Not surprisingly, he stated that “not a week goes by that this doesn’t come up”.
When asked about the impact of public involvement in regional transportation, Conklin spoke to the commission's effort in relying more on public planning partners to guide how to engage most meaningfully with citizens. This has looked like tabling at community events to have face-to-face communication about important issues to gain perspective and receive feedback. The commission has also held numerous scientific surveys using different methods of outreach to learn the people’s sentiments about the future of Northwest Arkansas.
In all, Conklin explained just how vital the work of the Northwest Arkansas Planning Commission is to the continued success of the region, in terms of economic stability, retention of nature, and positive growth in population. Through careful planning of regional transportation and ongoing collaboration with local counties and surrounding states, the work of Tim Conklin and his partners does not go unnoticed in the ever-changing scene of Northwest Arkansas.
Written by: Victoria Hudson
Learn more about the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission