After the Dust Settles–Revisiting the Buffalo Commons 30 years later

October 3, 2018

In their 1987 article in Planning magazine, “The Great Plains: From Dust to Dust,” Deborah and Frank Popper proposed a plan to transform the Great Plans into a 10-state national reserve. Their proposal prompted a wave of letters to the editor, inspired a musical, and spared a spirited national conversation later captured in Ann Matthews’ Pulitzer prize nominated book Where the Buffalo Roam. The Poppers sat down with Maxwell Hart of Planning magazine earlier this summer to reflect on that article, the response, and how planning has changed over the last three decades.

Planning Magazine, October 2018 (subscription required)

Recent Posts

Report Release: R/ECON Forecast Winter 2026

Read Report R/ECON’s economic forecast for New Jersey at the beginning of 2026 is a mixed bag. The state, like the nation, is likely to finish the year with notably stronger GDP growth than forecast earlier in the year. At the same time, the outlook for 2026 continues...