Pursuing New Development Ideas

As funding falters in the private sector, some privately- or university-driven design centers are still pursuing new ideas is urban design and development. Places profiles one at the University of Arkansas.

1 minute read

April 16, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Places' Nancy Levinson talks with Stephen Luoni, director of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center about the sort of development his group is designing.

"NL: What would be a good example of creative development?

SL: For five years we've been designing proposals for light rail transit in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). It's an unfunded initiative - a response not to a client's proposition but instead to a real problem that wasn't being addressed. From 1990 to 2000, NWA was the nation's sixth fastest growing region; yet it lacked any strong planning traditions - other than highway development - that would have met the needs of this rapid development. And more growth is expected: the region is projected to double its population within the next 20 years, and to reach more than one million by 2040. So, in response to existing patterns - NWA is essentially a string of towns each founded along a rail corridor in the 1880s - we proposed a regional plan structured around resuscitation of this corridor with revitalization of the historic downtowns."

Thursday, April 14, 2011 in Places

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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