On any given evening, residents of many Arkansas cities might be tempted to head out of town for dinner and entertainment. Being located close to a bigger city such as Little Rock is a benefit of many suburban municipalities. However, what if there was a space in the city that was specifically designed to provide another option?

Parks and community spaces have long been a focus of Arkansas municipalities, but what can be seen now is more intentionality in the selection and design of these community spaces. Municipalities are beginning to shift their focus from simply providing recreation opportunities for residents and looking more toward utilizing these community spaces to strengthen economic development in addition to quality of life. 

Maumelle’s new Millwood Station is a recent example of a community space Crafton Tull has helped to plan and design. This open-space plaza offers stations for food trucks, picnic areas, a pavilion for markets, a stage for live music and serves as a hub for community events.

Millwood station offers connectivity and a space for community gatherings

Dunn noted that the planning process that shaped the vision for Millwood Station included input from various city leadership departments, local businesses, residents, community stakeholders and regional partners who can all benefit from a vibrant public space that encourages community connection and economic activity.

By design, this space provides connection between residents and local businesses by creating additional pedestrian and cyclist accessibility to businesses near the venue and those stationed there, such as food trucks and vendors who frequent scheduled farmer’s markets. 

Kellie Wall, president/CEO of the Maumelle Chamber of Commerce, said projects such as this provide benefits from both quality-of-life and economic development perspectives. Businesses and employers look at the availability of community amenities and the “community experience” when considering where to locate a business as this has a direct impact on workforce recruitment. 

Across Central Arkansas, these projects are redefining recreation by expanding community amenities and extending far beyond the traditional idea of a park.

 Conway’s Pompe Park, a project that took years of planning was recently realized within three phases and provides similar amenities to that of Millwood Station, including a pavilion and an amphitheater. 

The City of Conway chose to place a veteran’s plaza at the center of the park, which provides a backdrop for specific community events honoring veterans, which is one of the things that sets this park apart from others in the city. The plans for Pompe Park evolved over time, but the idea of a community gathering space and the benefits it would bring to the area of the city remained at the heart of the design.

Pompe Park offers a unique setting for veteran-related events

This can also be seen in Hot Springs at the Garland County Library Park, which offers gardening spaces to be rented by the community. Driven by the Garland County Library, this project provides an interactive element that isn’t found in other parks throughout the city. 

Hot Springs' Garland County Library Park has a hands-on approach to a community park

The incredible investments made by the City of Searcy are another example of community-driven design that will have an impact on the economic future of an area. The centerpiece of the recreation improvements is a new community center that will feature an amphitheater for an added opportunity for community gathering on top of the unique amenities offered within the facility. 

“Investing in community spaces is ultimately an investment in people,” Dunn said. “Public gathering spaces create opportunities for connection, support local businesses, encourage healthy lifestyles and help foster civic pride.”

The idea of cities investing in community spaces is not a new one, but what we’ve seen is cities trending toward benefits beyond simply establishing a park. With intentional planning, collaboration, programming and design, these spaces can create experiences that promote investment in the future of the community.