The Washington County Courthouse building in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in May 2019. | Shutterstock

The Arkansas city?s sustainability push is as much about lifestyle and livability as it is about long-term planning. Northwest Arkansas may not be where many people expect to find a city on the forefront of environmental policy. But one city in the region, Fayetteville, shows how traditional expectations and stereotypes don?t have to stand in the way of forward-thinking policy around sustainability.
Earlier this month, CDP, an international nonprofit that examines climate risk for hundreds of local governments and corporations across the globe, released their latest A list, highlighting the cities preparing the best to ?build a climate safe future.? Fayetteville was one of 34 North American cities lauded for its commitment to transparency and action on climate change. Amid the expected honorees?nine cities from California made the list?the inclusion of a small city in the center of the country suggested sound environmental policy isn?t just for progressive bastions on the coast. ?Fayetteville is demonstrating that urban areas of all shapes and sizes can step up and lead the way,? says Katie Walsh, head of cities, states and regions for CDP North America. ?You don?t need to be in a blue state to be a green city.?
Part of the reason this college town of roughly 85,000 ranks amid cities 10 times its size is that it?s taking the problem seriously, Walsh says. That include...