Seven cities in NWA come together to preserve, improve, and promote the community’s beloved public amenity
Northwest Arkansas, April 15, 2022 — The Razorback Greenway will roll out a variety of exciting updates throughout 2022, starting with a refreshed brand identity, additional mileage, and enhanced wayfinding and mapping experiences. These efforts are led by a unique multi-jurisdictional collaboration between Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Lowell, Springdale, Johnson and Fayetteville called the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Greenway Alliance.
This announcement comes as the Razorback Greenway Alliance hires the first employee dedicated solely to functions related to the brand, operations, and communication on behalf of the Razorback Greenway. Tristan Hill will serve as Razorback Greenway Manager. A graduate of the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and political science. He previously worked in the TV industry as both a digital content producer and multimedia journalist in Northwest Arkansas.
“The cornerstone of the updated identity is the G mark,” says Hill. “The G itself is made of seven lines which represent how the Greenway connects seven individual communities within our region.”
According to Hill, the strategy, concept and direction for the refreshed brand was inspired by the timeless visual composition and legibility of major public transportation systems like the New York City Subway. The updated Razorback Greenway identity features a city-based color system, which will include an anchor color for each city that will play a big role in improved user experience on the trail.
In addition to new typography, logomark and color system, a new tagline for the Greenway was also announced – “Transportation. Recreation. Innovation.” Hill said the updated identity and new tagline better represent the Greenway’s purpose and vital contribution to the Northwest Arkansas community.
“It took a lot of vision by community advocates and local leaders to make what we now know as the Razorback Greenway a reality. The development of this trail system was many years in the making, with over two decades of planning and hard work by regional and city governments in addition to philanthropic efforts by instrumental organizations in Northwest Arkansas. Today we find ourselves with a world-class trail system for locals and visitors to explore this amazing region. We needed an updated brand identity to capture the spirit of transportation, recreation and connection to all of Northwest Arkansas,” said Hill.
Seven years after its initial 36 mile dedication, the Razorback Greenway now officially spans a full 40 miles through the heart of NWA, beginning at “mile 0” at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville and ending at “mile 40” at Mercy Way Bridge in Bella Vista. The updated wayfinding and mapping will reflect this expansion.
The Razorback Greenway Alliance is working with Northwest Arkansas-based agency, Creative in partnership with Jacobs & Co., to update and launch the refreshed Razorback Greenway brand identity. The brand refresh will be soft launched at the spring Square 2 Square event on May 7, where the Razorback Greenway Alliance will host a pop-up brand activation at the halfway stop in Downtown Springdale at Shiloh Square.
About The NWA Razorback Greenway Alliance
Established in 2020, the purpose of the Alliance is to provide a multi-jurisdictional approach to trail governance to ensure the Razorback Greenway remains best in class nationally and continues to improve and innovate. The seven communities represented are Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Lowell, Springdale, Johnson and Fayetteville.
In addition to commissioning a fully updated brand identity package and expanding the mileage of the Greenway the Alliance is developing a plan for improvements to the maintenance, facilities, and operational infrastructure of the Razorback Greenway.
About the NWA Razorback Greenway
In 2000, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) began a long-range planning process that included existing regional trails. The inaugural 36 miles of the Razorback Regional Greenway were designed and developed in 2009 and 2010 when the NWARPC received $30 million in private funds and public grants.
The original plan connected 19 existing shared-use paved trails into a continuous greenway spanning from South Fayetteville to Lake Bella Vista. The 36-mile trail was officially dedicated on May 2, 2015. Since that time, under the leadership of the NWA Razorback Greenway Alliance, four miles have been added to round out the Razorback Greenway’s total miles to 40. The trail now begins at “mile 0” at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville and ends at Mercy Way Bridge in Bella Vista.