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.
Meet the 2026 New Jersey Leadership Collective Fellows
New Jersey Leadership Collective’s mission is to train leaders who are committed to moving the communities they serve and the Garden State forward. They aim to make progressive change to legislation and policies through building collective power and taking collective...