What happens when you bring together art, architecture, and landscape design with a clear mission to "create places people love"? The answer lies in Northwest Arkansas's remarkable transformation from a collection of small towns to a vibrant urban landscape that draws visitors and new residents from across the country.

Jessica Hester, CEO and principal architect at Verdant Studio, along with Dayton Castleman, their director of creative placemaking, take us behind the scenes of their innovative work that's helping shape a region experiencing unprecedented growth. While celebrating their firm's upcoming 10-year anniversary, they explain how creative placemaking serves as a powerful tool for connecting communities and establishing authentic identities in spaces that might otherwise lack personality.

The conversation offers fascinating insights into the unique dynamics of Northwest Arkansas's development compared to traditional urban revitalization. Unlike typical gentrification patterns where artists help revitalize blighted areas, Northwest Arkansas is experiencing true urbanization—building cities where there simply weren't cities before. With approximately 32 new residents arriving daily, the challenges of infrastructure, transportation, and maintaining community character become increasingly complex.

Verdant's approach prioritizes density over sprawl, mixed-use developments over isolated residential areas, and adaptive reuse of historic structures whenever possible. Their work demonstrates how thoughtful design can address practical needs while simultaneously creating the "cool vibe" that distinguishes Northwest Arkansas from other rapidly growing regions.

Whether you're interested in urban planning, community development, or the intersection of art and architecture, this episode offers valuable perspectives on building spaces that genuinely connect people. As Dayton reminds us, "Intentionality can cost a million dollars, or it can cost a hundred dollars"—suggesting that communities of any size and budget can benefit from the principles of creative placemaking. Subscribe now to hear more conversations about strengthening connections and building vibrant communities.

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More About this Episode

Building Places People Love: How Verdant Studio Is Reimagining Northwest Arkansas

When we launched the Four Bars Podcast, we did it with a simple idea: what if we worked as hard at building human connections as we do finding a solid cell signal? That’s the metaphor behind our name and the driving force behind every conversation we host. In this episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Jessica Hester, CEO and Principal Architect of Verdant Studio, and Dayton Castleman, the firm’s Director of Creative Placemaking. What unfolded was a deeply inspiring discussion about how intentional design, community art, and visionary risk-taking are transforming Northwest Arkansas.

And let me just say: if you’ve ever wondered what it really means to create “places people love,” you’re going to want to read this.

From One Laptop to a Community-Changing Firm

Jessica started Verdant Studio nearly ten years ago with just her, a laptop, and a lot of grit. Today, that solo operation has grown into a multi-disciplinary design studio creating meaningful spaces all over the region and beyond. What’s striking isn’t just the scale of what Verdant does, but how they do it. It’s not about building more buildings. It’s about creating environments where people connect, belong, and feel inspired.

“Our mission is creating places people love,” Jessica told us. “And we do that with a team that’s absolutely committed to designing with purpose.”

So, What Is Creative Placemaking?

We asked Dayton to unpack the concept of “creative placemaking,” which honestly was a new term to us and likely to many of our listeners. What he shared blew us away.

He described it as a three-way dance between architecture, landscape, and art. At its best, each element doesn’t just coexist but feeds off the other, amplifying the identity of a space. And when art takes the lead in that dance, that’s creative placemaking in its most powerful form.

“Art is uniquely positioned to tease out the personality of a community,” Dayton explained. “It’s not just decorative. It’s connective.”

Jessica summed it up more playfully: “We make places cool.”

The Crystal Bridges Effect

If you’ve ever been to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, you’ve felt its ripple effect. It wasn’t just a museum opening, it was a cultural shift. Dayton called it the first visible investment that made Bentonville feel like a place people wanted to be. From there, art began showing up everywhere like on sidewalks, in parks, even integrated into the very fabric of buildings.

That precedent set the stage for others to follow. And Verdant Studio stepped into that story, designing spaces that continue to build on that momentum.

Not Revitalization—Urbanization

What really stood out to us was the way Jessica and Dayton reframe what’s happening in Northwest Arkansas. This isn’t a classic revitalization story. There’s no major urban decay being rescued. Instead, we’re witnessing urbanization. A collection of small towns organically merging into a metro region with a distinct cultural identity.

We’re not restoring something that once was. We’re inventing something new.

“We’re building a city where there wasn’t one before,” Dayton said. “And we get to do it with imagination, integrity, and intentionality.”

Adaptive Reuse: Giving Old Spaces New Life

One of the most impactful ways Verdant brings personality to place is through adaptive reuse. Taking old buildings and transforming them into vibrant, community-focused spaces. Their own office is a perfect example. Once a milk plant designed by Carnation over a century ago, it now houses a forward-thinking design firm that’s shaping the region’s future.

And they’re not stopping there. From repurposed warehouses to retrofitted public spaces, their team is breathing new life into structures that still have stories to tell.

“I wish we had hundreds more old buildings to work with,” Jessica said. “There’s something incredibly powerful about honoring the past while designing for the future.”

The Case for Mixed-Use and Density

As our cities grow, the way we design them matters more than ever. Jessica and Dayton emphasized the importance of mixed-use developments. These are places where people can live, shop, and gather without hopping in a car. Whether it’s a town center surrounded by homes or vertically integrated buildings with apartments above shops, these projects help reduce infrastructure strain and foster community.

“If we don’t prioritize infill and density,” Jessica warned, “we’re going to end up with housing developments in the middle of nowhere and no way to serve them.”

It’s a lesson many fast-growing regions are learning the hard way. But here in Northwest Arkansas, there’s a concerted effort from groups like the Urban Land Institute and the Northwest Arkansas Council to plan smarter and think ahead.

Art Isn’t Optional. It’s Essential.

What makes a space not just usable but lovable? For Verdant, the answer is art. From community murals to interactive installations, art becomes a vehicle for connection.

We loved hearing how the studio incorporates community participation into their work like inviting locals to help create installations or even shape the narrative behind a project. It’s not just about beautification. It’s about building identity.

“Art is what adds the zhuzh,” Jessica said with a laugh. “It’s what gives a place its authenticity.”

Dayton took it deeper: “Art fills the spaces between architecture and landscape. It reveals what’s intangible but essential.”

Lessons for Other Communities

So what can other communities take from what’s happening here?

Jessica’s advice was clear: “If you put your heart and soul into a place, it will show. Authenticity can’t be faked.”

And Dayton added something that really resonated: “Intentionality doesn’t have to be expensive. You can build community with a big budget or a shoestring. What matters is care and creativity.”

As for what’s ahead, both Jessica and Dayton are doubling down on risk-taking and experimentation. They’re not afraid of failure as long as it’s done in service of learning and growth.

“We’re going to keep pushing,” Dayton said. “And if we blow up a few rockets along the way, so be it. That’s how you find out what’s possible.”

It’s not every day you hear an architect say they’re a fan of failure, but it perfectly encapsulates Verdant’s ethos. They’re building more than buildings. They’re building community. They’re building culture. And they’re doing it with courage, creativity, and heart.

If this conversation left you thinking differently about your own neighborhood, we hope you’ll look around and ask: What could this place become? Because if there’s one thing we learned from Jessica and Dayton, it’s that every community, big or small, has the potential to be somewhere people love to be.