Cultural Arts Corridor

The City of Fayetteville is developing a dynamic Cultural Arts Corridor that will link cultural attractions—including the Walton Arts Center, TheatreSquared’s new performing arts venue, Nadine Baum Studios, Fayetteville Public Library, and the Fay Jones Woods—and activate the outdoor environment between Dickson and Prairie Streets with a range of amenities that will enhance the experience for city residents and visitors alike. The plan will incorporate playful recreation elements, public art, streetscaping, enhanced pedestrian paths, and open-air gathering spaces while integrating the natural landscape with the urban.
The creation of this corridor will improve access to natural and urban public spaces, cultural and educational attractions, the University of Arkansas, the Razorback Greenway, the Downtown Square, and the wider city.
The plan for this transformative project is made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation’s Design Excellence Program. Award-winning landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW) were selected to design the corridor. When complete, the 50-acre corridor will serve as a vibrant and memorable civic space for entertainment, community, and expression that also showcases the unique character and culture of Fayetteville.
Update: A Sustainable Urban Landscape
To view the PowerPoint from the January 29 presentation, click here.
Prior presentations are available in the Document Center at right.
Designs focus on three main areas: to celebrate our local arts culture; to preserve the environment, urban forest, and watershed; and to create accessible and enjoyable gathering spaces in central Fayetteville for all residents and visitors.
The most recent presentation answers the question, “What can we as a City do right here that we cannot do anywhere else?” The restoration of Tanglewood Branch provides a unique opportunity to showcase Fayetteville’s sustainability values through stewardship of our watershed and urban forest. The ecological elements of this project will set a new bar for sustainable urban landscapes with:
- Reclaimed streams
- Urban canopy
- Creative stormwater management
- Nature and biking trails for active outdoor living
- Nature education
- Convergence of art and nature
The project will create a community hub for gathering and play, large and small performances, festivals, art exhibitions and storytelling, sculptures, murals, and artful stormwater management and lighting.
The Cultural Arts Corridor is a public investment on public land for public use. As is demonstrated in communities across the world, this type of public investment also spurs private development on private land. The project will be a catalyst for additional development and density in the downtown area, increasing bike trails and connections, and improving streets and walkability.
Visit this City of Fayetteville webpage for additional information about the Cultural Arts Corridor: www.fayetteville-ar.gov/culturalartscorridor