Housing Northwest Arkansas: A Challenge, an Initiative, a Response

Housing Northwest Arkansas presents a 2018 initiative, led by the University of Arkansas' Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and made possible by a grant from Walton Family Foundation, exploring optimal approaches to guide the growth of Northwest Arkansas and to maintain the quality of life distinguishing the region, through an in-depth exploration and design of mixed-use, mixed-income attainable housing. The three-tiered Housing Northwest Arkansas initiative included a design studio focused on students, a regional symposium focused on the community, and a professional design competition. Each of these three components added to the in-depth exploration of national and regional housing issues of design, zoning, finance, city planning, community development, and community education and engagement. Throughout this exploration, the goals remained constant: educating Fay Jones School students, informing the Northwest Arkansas community, and building a better Northwest Arkansas.