The opening of the $12.5 million mixed-use building housing the 12^th Street Police Station and the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center signaled revitalization for Little Rock’s 12^th Street community. Although the area received public investments, walkability, pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and overall access for the community were still lacking.

Metroplan recognized this through the Imagine Central Arkansas plan, which listed 12^th Street as an area deserving of investment as a part of the $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated to evaluate community infrastructure improvements. As a part of the plan’s Jump Start Initiative, which looks to bring various groups together through public improvements, Crafton Tull was hired to design these upgrades for the 12^th Street community.

This $2.5 million project included new sidewalks, lighting, drainage improvements, and Low Impact Development (LID) streetscaping along Pine and Cedar Streets from Maryland Avenue to 14^th Street, making the community more walkable, welcoming, sustainable, and safer. Ultimately, improved walkability and access provided through this project helped create a crucial link between the 12^th Street neighborhood to many employers and providers located north of Interstate 630 while better equipping the community’s infrastructure for further investment.