Plan Jonesboro Design Week Draws Hundreds, Highlights Community Priorities for Growth

Clear community priorities emerged during successful Plan Jonesboro Design Week

JONESBORO, AR – Hundreds of residents participated in Plan Jonesboro Design Week, held March 30 through April 2, engaging directly with the team leading the City of Jonesboro’s comprehensive planning effort. Through open houses, pop-up conversations, and topic-focused discussions, participants shared ideas that will help guide Jonesboro’s growth over the next 30 years.

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Design Week brought public engagement into an intensive, hands-on format, supported by an on-site design studio led by DPZ CoDesign and Crafton Tull. Residents were able to review information, map priorities, and react to early concepts as they took shape, using interactive tools such as mapping exercises, idea and preference boards, and one-on-one conversations with the design team.

“The biggest takeaway from Design Week was that real-time, interactive engagement with the community leads to stronger and more grounded ideas,” said Matt Lambert, partner with DPZ CoDesign. “Residents were able to clearly express not only what they want, they were also able to respond to ideas for key areas of the city.”

Across events and activities, several consistent themes emerged:

• A strong desire for more local activities, gathering places, and vibrant centers
• Safer, more connected, and walkable streets
• Traffic and infrastructure improvements to keep pace with growth
• Expanded parks, trails, and outdoor recreation

Residents also emphasized preserving Jonesboro’s community character while supporting economic opportunity and affordability through thoughtful, coordinated planning.

Throughout the week, residents were able to point out specific areas that they feel should be examined closely by the design team and City leaders. Beverly Parker of Keep Jonesboro Beautiful highlighted the opportunity for reinvestment in key corridors, such as Johnson Avenue and the Gee Street area.

“This is an opportunity to rethink how we design our roadways – not just for function, but to create safe, beautiful spaces that enhance the experience for everyone who uses them,” Parker said.

Pastor Bryan Carter of His Way Holiness Church said he believes planning is what will ensure his grandchildren have a safe, prosperous city to call home.

“I love that we’re planning,” Carter said. “We’re giving residents a reason to stay in Jonesboro instead of trying to move out to find something better. The City is listening and that’s one thing I love about our mayor. He listens to his people. He’s not unreachable. You can get to anyone in that office.”

By the end of the week, the conversation had shifted from ideas to early concepts. The closing open house gave residents a chance to see how their input was already shaping ideas for key areas across the city.

Councilmember Janice Porter shared that participating in Plan Jonesboro Design Week reinforced for her the planning department’s genuine commitment to incorporating public input wherever possible, rather than relying on a leadership-only approach.

“I believe we should be thoughtful about how we allocate essential businesses like grocery stores across the city, making them more accessible while also reducing traffic congestion,” Porter said. “Just as important, I want every resident, regardless of their neighborhood, to have safe, inviting opportunities to walk or bike to parks, restaurants, and shops.”

City staff noted that Design Week also reinforced the importance of continued investment in the city’s core and the need to maximize existing infrastructure. The City is taking early actions to address some things that have been identified by the public, including pedestrian and infrastructure improvements.

City leaders said Design Week was successful and demonstrated that community outreach efforts are continuing.

“It is hard to put into words just how important Design Week and public input meetings are to building this comprehensive plan,” said Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver. “Good things do not happen by accident; they happen through planning and in order to know what our community needs and wants, we must hear from them. Community engagement is the driving force behind building the blueprints. Get involved. Make your voice heard. Be a proud resident of Jonesboro.”

The planning process will continue in the coming months as the design team refines concepts and develops a draft plan for public review. Design Week materials will be made available for viewing at City Hall.

Additional opportunities for engagement are planned, and the online survey and interactive map remain open for public input. Visit PlanJonesboro.com to provide feedback and keep up to date with Plan Jonesboro.