Like other small communities suddenly made popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, the region is struggling to maange its explosive growth.

Writing in Axios, Worth Sparkman describes the growing pains being experienced by Northwest Arkansas, a region undergoing a major transformation.
“Essentially a cluster of 31 small to midsize towns, NWA is the 15th-fastest-growing area in the U.S., on pace to hit nearly 1 million residents by 2045”—double its current population size. The region, home to Walmart, is booming with new businesses, with over 3,500 new businesses registered in the state in the first half of 2023 and commercial vacancies at a record low.
Local officials are wary of the imminent changes, which have led to sharp increases in housing costs and other tensions locally and in other fast-growing rural areas and small towns. According to the article, “Housing prices soared as much as 60% between 2019 and 2022, traffic is worse than ever, and there are concerns about water quality as cities sprawl.”
Greg Hines, mayor of Rogers, Arkansas, says “Collaboration among the cities on issues such as mass transit, roads, infrastructure and attainable workforce housing will be key to mitigating the aches of growth.”
FULL STORY: Northwest Arkansas' stunning — yet sometimes painful — reinvention

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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