Fayetteville's South Street Cottages Earn CNU Charter Award

Compact, custom-designed infill homes blend quality, efficiency, and affordability in Arkansas neighborhood.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 8:36pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic cottage home repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant, and unnatural neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to turn an everyday residential structure into modern pop art.The compact, custom-designed cottages of the South Street Cottages development bring a modern, artistic flair to sustainable urban infill housing.Fayetteville Today

The South Street Cottages in Fayetteville, Arkansas, have earned a 2026 Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) for their innovative approach to small-scale, high-quality urban infill development. The project, developed by Range Co. and Flintlock Development, features a mix of cottages, accessory dwelling units, townhomes, and a future mixed-use building on just over an acre of land, demonstrating how thoughtful design and a focus on constructability can deliver affordable housing without subsidies.

Why it matters

The South Street Cottages project showcases how compact, custom-designed infill development can balance quality, sustainability, and affordability in a way that enhances the surrounding neighborhood. As cities grapple with housing affordability challenges, this project provides a model for how to integrate diverse housing types, promote walkability, and preserve the character of established communities.

The details

The South Street Cottages include nine cottages, two accessory dwelling units, apartments above a retail building, and twelve townhomes, for a total of approximately 23 residential units. The homes range from 576 to 1,950 square feet and were designed to meet federal affordability standards for 80% of the Area Median Income without subsidies, thanks to their small footprints and cost-effective construction. The neighborhood's custom street design promotes walkability and social connections, with street tree plantings informed by data from the Bartlett Tree Laboratory to create a resilient, low-tech solution.

  • The first eleven units of the South Street Cottages have been completed in a series of small phases.
  • The project was awarded a 2026 Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism.

The players

Range Co.

The principal firm behind the South Street Cottages project.

Flintlock Development

The developer of the South Street Cottages project.

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What they’re saying

“At 20 units per acre, this development is a great reminder that 'higher density' can look very gentle and neighborhood-scale.”

— Carla Norris, Transportation Project Manager, AECOM

The takeaway

The South Street Cottages project demonstrates how thoughtful, custom-designed infill development can deliver high-quality, sustainable, and affordable housing that enhances the character of an established neighborhood. As cities seek solutions to the housing affordability crisis, this project provides a model for integrating diverse housing types, promoting walkability, and preserving community identity.