jllive

The ideal situation here would be to hop onto a train or bus, near my home, and after arriving near my destination be able to walk safely the rest of the way. Now, unless I worked in Benton County and lived in Fayetteville, riding a light rail train wouldn't have much of an appeal for me. I enjoy going up to Rogers occasionally to shop or dine, but it just doesn't have the amenities to support mass ridership on light rail. The same could be said about Fayetteville. Hopefully I'm wrong, but it seems like other than business travel light rail in the NWA corridor would be sparsely used. The reason that mass transit systems work so well in large urban centers is because traffic and finding sufficient parking is a tremendous inconvenience and expense. Also, and this is really key, pedestrians have easy access to wherever they need to go. Fayetteville and Rogers have all the same basic amenities and are extremely difficult to get around on foot. Will a centralized, light rail system encourage infill and more dense urban living? It seems like it would, but to what extent? Also, would that growth be enough to attract the necessary amenities to create enough daily ridership to justify a light rail? It seems like the more natural course would be letting population growth determine mass transit development. Certainly, it's necessary to plan ahead and have the infrastructure in place for mass transit development and also key to NWA's future growth is focusing on developing pedestrian friendly urban cores to link through mass transit systems.

I myself am a student at the U of A and live near campus, however, I used to work near the Springdale airport and currently volunteer at one of the area schools. I like the development that is going on there. It is not the most attractive area in Springdale, but there are some nice amenities there. My favorite restaurant in that area is Acapulco Mexican restaurant. The Harps is nice and when the Neighborhood Market is completed, it will provide a better selection of groceries. Having Fed Ex, UPS, and DHL nearby is also convenient. I think if Springdale keeps up with street maintenance, that area will be a nice place to live.

My point is that there is a tendency to play it safe when it comes to building large public spaces. If you're building an apartment complex, then play it safe because you're trying to maximize your dollar. But, if you have several millions to spend on a building that is meant to attract people from a large regional area, then don't be afraid to be creative. My issue deals more with the current WAC building. If you're going to construct a huge building that is emblematic of your entertainment district and is right in the heart of Fayetteville, then make it a wonder to the eyes.

The composition of the picture is terrific. What stands out most is the modern architecture contrasting beautifully with the traditional design of Old Main. Something else that came to mind while I was examining the picture was an old gripe of mine. Old Main is a beautiful building. To me, Old Main is how a large brick building should look. The hue of the brick contrasts wonderfully with the other colors found on the building. I think many cities, in an effort to maintain a concurrent design aesthetic or regional architecture, fail to realize that the simple lines and elegance of modern architecture blends well with traditional design. More specifically, I have never been a fan of the WAC building. I think the city missed a great opportunity to have a building that could have emblemized Fayetteville as much as Old Main does. Another example occurred when I first moved to Fayetteville. The university had hired an architectural firm from New York, I believe, to redesign and expand Razorback Stadium. The university decided against using that firm's concept because I believe they felt the design was too "exotic." I think that was another missed opportunity. More recently, however, Fayetteville has shown signs of embracing modern architecture, but I still feel we can go further. I realize that with the state of the economy we won't see a tremendous amount of building activity in Fayetteville, especially in the civic area. I hope that if Fayetteville receives a new performance arts building it won't be another missed opportunity.

That's a beautiful shot. Where was it taken from?