City Profiles / Small Cities / Fayetteville, AR

Fayetteville, Arkansas

As one of the fastest growing metropolitan statistical areas in the country, Fayetteville, Arkansas has sought to find a way to make that growth green. Set in the moderate mountainous terrain of the Ozarks, the area lends itself to intense land use, but sprawl threatens to degrade the streams and lakes. City plans call for sustainable development and low-impact land use policies, including a progressive ordinance to eliminate by-right development of cul-de-sacs, which cut off neighborhoods from the community, removing them from the active center of town. Fayetteville was one of the first communities in the country to implement such an ordinance.

Both the City Plan 2025 and the Fayetteville Alternative Transportation and Trails (FATT) Master Plan engaged citizens to develop ideas for healthy, high-density growth; the resulting innovative efforts garnered accolades from the Congress of New Urbanism and the U.S. Conference of Mayors respectively. The City Plan, which was created through a charrette process that involved more than 800 residents, prioritizes infill redevelopment and revitalization of existing infrastructure. It also calls for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, affordable housing and the preservation of natural and historic features. To create a walkable and bikeable community, the FATT plan outlines the implementation of 129 miles of multi-use trails and 163 miles of on-street linkages to connect citizens to neighbors, outdoor resources and town destinations without a car.

Fayetteville was the first city in Arkansas to employ a Sustainability Coordinator, a position that paid for itself with the cost savings from energy efficiency and conservation efforts.