Professor Carl Smith Creates Landscape Architecture Report for Razorback Regional Greenway

Courtesy of Carl Smith

This sketch by Carl Smith shows an area of the Horsebarn Trail, along a section of the Razorback Regional Greenway in north Rogers.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Carl Smith, an associate professor of landscape architecture in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, was recently commissioned to provide landscape architectural services regarding the Razorback Regional Greenway.

In creating a report for the Northwest Arkansas Council, Smith provided a descriptive baseline of existing landscape character, and then outlined recommendations for future landscape design and management proposals along the greenway based on this character baseline. This evaluation of landscape character will allow the region's planners to understand what kind of future change or development is appropriate in which context, he said.

The Razorback Regional Greenway is a 37-mile, shared-use trail that extends from Fayetteville to Bella Vista, which opened in its entirety in May 2015. The route of the trail travels through Northwest Arkansas cities and touches six downtowns, 23 school campuses, the University of Arkansas campus, historic sites and shopping areas. Along the way, it covers a range of landscapes, such as wide-open plateaus of farmland; steep-sided wooded ravines; and vital, vibrant, revitalizing downtowns, Smith said.

A recent study shows that usage of the Northwest Arkansas trail system is comparable to major bike- and pedestrian-friendly metropolitan areas, according to the Walton Family Foundation. The user count, conducted by Chen Ryan Associates between April and June, showed that Northwest Arkansas has almost as many cyclists using its most popular trail sections as San Francisco, when comparing the daily per capita. Also, this region has almost as many pedestrians daily per capita using the trail system as San Diego County and more than in Portland.

Smith started working on the landscape character report after discussions and an interview with Misty Murphy, who was then regional trails coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas Council. Murphy was aware of Smith's background in non-auto transit, new urbanism and environmental quality — areas that intersect with the interests of the Northwest Arkansas Council, Smith said.

"I believe the project was born from a desire to move the evolution of the greenway forward — an incremental step between the planning of the route and the design and implementation of specific interventions such as signage, lighting, furniture, planting and management — and my expertise was a good fit," Smith said.

Murphy said that Smith understands where the future of Northwest Arkansas is headed and has solid ideas about how to best get there.

Smith said that he felt honored to work on this commission and, as an educator, considers it important to remain active in professional design and planning to maintain relevance as an instructor in the Fay Jones School. The project also allowed him to put some of what he teaches — in this case, the importance of carefully considering landscape character — into practice.

With experience in written landscape character and visual impact reports for various clients, Smith has completed projects and had specific experiences that well prepared him for this commission. He has been a part of landscape character assessments for development in highly sensitive urban and suburban locations, such as the edge of historic towns and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Smith has provided recommendations for the Razorback Regional Greenway in his report to help ensure that future improvements on the trail are made in appropriate and environmentally sensitive ways. Murphy said that his guide outlines how to maximize landscape quality and user experience throughout the length of the trail, though it does not provide detailed design proposals — which will be the subject of future landscape architectural commissions by others.

"The report bridges the gap between landscape planning and design," Smith said.

The trail provides many benefits to the region's residents, including access to physical activity and areas of vegetation, both of which improve mental well-being. Transportation by walking, running and cycling also allows people to be more present in and aware of their environment, whether urban, suburban or rural, accentuating the bond between people and landscape.

"My hope is that users find on the Razorback Regional Greenway either that sense of peace or stimulation that they are seeking while commuting or exercising. I want the landscape to inform that experience without the user ever realizing it," Murphy said.

Smith recognized the importance of the Razorback Regional Greenway and the environment surrounding it.

"The landscape of Northwest Arkansas is beautiful, diverse and subject to rapid and broad change. It is not often one gets the opportunity to read and understand a landscape so deeply — and it's particularly important, I think, that this is my home landscape, and one that I am deeply invested in. This project only deepened and strengthened that connection," Smith said.

The region is home to about 500,000 people, and this regional trail provides more than just a functional amenity for local residents. Murphy also sees the great importance in connecting people with landscape.

"It's an experience with a true sense of place," Murphy said.

Murphy said that she and her team are pleased by how revolutionary the trail has been for the region. It has quickly become part of the fabric of Northwest Arkansas, she said, and usage numbers are higher than anticipated and are only expected to grow. Some of the region's cities are implementing or have already implemented several of the recommendations in Smith's report, in order to further the user-experience of the Greenway.