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Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission As Northwest Arkansas continues the patterns of rapid
growth first experienced during the 1970s, it remains imperative that a regional
planning authority be in place to coordinate and assist in regional planning and
development. NWARPC was initially formed in response to the construction
of Beaver Lake and the pending 71-Bypass. City and county officials in the 1960s
anticipated that the region would see immediate expansion, and indeed they were
right. The completion of Interstate 540, the Northwest Arkansas Regional
Airport, and improvements to Highway 412, has created unprecedented growth.
NWARPC will continue to partner with the Arkansas Highway Department and area
local governments to meet the challenges and opportunities of inevitable
development. WHAT IS THE NWARPC? NWARPC is a planning organization that serves local units of
government in Benton and Washington Counties. It is also the designated MPO
(Metropolitan Planning Organization) for transportation in the Fayetteville/
Springdale/ Rogers MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area). WHAT DOES THE NWARPC DO? Since its formation in 1966, the Commission has been working
toward making Northwest Arkansas a more desirable place to live and work. Act 26
of 1955 (which provided for the formation of NWARPC) states its purpose,
"... to make those studies and plans for the metropolitan area or region
that will guide the unified development of the area, that will eliminate
planning duplication and promote economy and efficiency in the coordinated
development of the area and the general welfare and prosperity of its
people." NWARPC Services
WHO IS INVOLVED? The Commission was formed in 1966 through a cooperative
agreement signed by Benton County, Washington County, Bentonville, Fayetteville,
Rogers, Siloam Springs, and Springdale. NWARPC is now composed of 24 units of
government. Members pay a participation fee based upon their latest
official Census population. Additional operating funds come from a variety of
local, state, and federal sources including the Arkansas State Highway and
Transportation Department. For a complete list of current members visit
the Members page linked at the top of this page. NWARPC: HISTORY and CURRENT FUNCTIONS For the past 34 years, the Commission's work has been varied
and extensive. In the beginning, NWARPC gathered data and conducted studies
concerning all aspects of the region. After the completion of some 75 studies
and several public hearings, the first "Regional Plan" was adopted in
1973. The Commission then concentrated on the pressing issues of water, sewer
and solid waste. From these concerns came definitive studies with
recommendations for solutions. NWARPC contracted for the first regional airport
study in 1968, and has worked with the Arkansas Highway Department and local
governments on virtually every major roadway improvement including I
540. Today, the Commission's work involves ongoing planning, mapping, and
technical assistance to local governments, as well as serving as the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Northwest Arkansas. The function of
the MPO is to work with the governmental entities of the area and the State
Highway Department to determine transportation needs and funding priorities
through long range planning. THE FUTURE During the next decade the population of Northwest Arkansas
is projected to increase by over 100,000 people. This will call for a
greater degree of coordination and cooperation in planning by the government
entities of the area. Our transportation system will need to be able to
handle the increased populations of our area. Planning area boundaries
will need to be coordinated among the cities and the 2000 census information
will change the map of political district boundaries. The population
increase will create new challenges for water quality and waste management
issues. Mapping and data analysis will be increasingly dependent on
computer-based technologies. In all of these areas the Northwest Arkansas Regional
Planning Commission will assist the governmental entities of the area to meet
these challenges. With the continuing support of the governments of Northwest
Arkansas, the Planning Commission will assist in the planning necessary to
maintain Northwest Arkansas as a haven for the quality of life that we now
enjoy. |