omaha only better omahabydesign

omaha only better omahabydesign

No one knows for sure what Omaha will be like in the year 2099...If its rate of growth continues, Omaha will be a region, not just a city, and its population will be far more racially and ethnically diverse than today. The community s future ranking on economic, political and livability scales will be determined by how well it has nurtured its people, solved its problems, managed its resources, and cared for its natural and built environments. Omaha Community Foundation study, 1998 Early rendering of Midtown Crossing at Turner Park. our beginnings

The Lively Omaha donors also investigate options for launching a large-scale effort that would have a lasting impact on the city s quest to become vibrant, connected, distinctive, sparkling and fun. A visionary idea surges to the top of the list: creating a comprehensive urban design plan for all of Omaha. our story The story of Omaha by Design begins in 2001 with five words vibrant, connected, distinctive, sparkling and fun. These descriptors, identified by Omahans as indicators of future wants for their city in a study commissioned by the Omaha Community Foundation, marks the founding of Lively Omaha, the precursor to the present-day organization. In 2001, local philanthropists John Gottschalk, Ken Stinson and Bruce Lauritzen fund the creation of Lively Omaha. The organization works with the City of Omaha to begin encouraging citizens to think about revitalization on large and small scales. Lively Omaha enlists the services of the Project for Public Spaces and begins offering free Place Game workshops, which allow neighborhood and civic groups to brainstorm potential improvements to the public spaces in their corner of the city. Omaha by Design has hosted more than 65 Place Game workshops in the city s neighborhoods during the past decade. 4

the catalyst In 2002, Lively Omaha forms a partnership with the City of Omaha to begin planning for the creation of the comprehensive urban design plan. The partnership which brings together the local public, private and philanthropic sectors becomes the model for public policy development in the metro. A groundswell of community support for the new plan gets a boost when city council members balk after being presented with the proposed design plans for a pair of Wal-Mart stores. The company architect tells the council that Wal-Mart designs its stores to meet the local community standard and city code. Del Weber Bob Peters Del Weber, then president and CEO of the Omaha Community Foundation, and Bob Peters, then Omaha s planning director, are tapped to serve as co-chairs of the development process, which is dubbed Omaha by Design. 7

Jonathan Barnett Brian Blaesser The organization hires nationally renowned urban design consultants Jonathan Barnett (Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC) and Brian Blaesser (Robinson & Cole LLP) to lead the process and forms a volunteer Working Review Committee to provide the oversight. the urban design element In 2003, Lively Omaha becomes the project manager for the Omaha by Design development process. Research is conducted, community meetings are held to capture local input and consensus building begins. Some 12 months later, Lively Omaha and the city unveil the 21 goals that outline this new vision, which after a unanimous city council vote becomes the Urban Design Element of the City of Omaha s Master Plan. Following the approval of the new comprehensive urban design plan, Lively Omaha changes its name to Omaha by Design. Aksarben Village is a model for mixed-use development. 8

Gateway Boys Town the fishbone The Urban Design Element focuses on three areas: Green Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the city s natural setting and public park system; Civic Omaha, which seeks to define and improve the city s civic places and public image; and Neighborhood Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the diversity of the city s neighborhoods. Miracle Hills Crossroads The Urban Design Element encourages Omahans to create streetscapes that are attractive, functional and reflect the culture of the area. Pictured above is a South 24th Street sidewalk. An artist s impression of Omaha as seen at night from the air becomes the symbol of this new vision. It delineates the civic parts of Omaha with bright lights and depicts the natural streams and valleys that frame the city s neighborhoods. The lights, when connected, resemble the bones of a fish. The highest level of the new urban design standards applies along The Fishbone, which represents the most-traveled areas of the city. South Omaha Midtown Downtown North Omaha 10

amending the code structure Because a city s physical appearance is dictated by its zoning and subdivision codes, Omaha by Design and the City of Omaha partner once again to amend and expand Omaha s existing code structure to reflect the Urban Design Element recommendations related to zoning issues. Among the package s zoning changes are enhancements to the on-premise signage (above) and build-to/set-back line (at right) sections. A volunteer Technical Advisory Group forms to work alongside city staff and the same urban design consultants (Blaesser and Barnett) to draft a groundbreaking package of code revisions and additions. The package covers everything from streetscapes to building design. Del Weber, a member of the Omaha by Design Advisory Committee, and Steve Jensen, then Omaha s planning director, serve as co-chairs of the regulations development process. Two years in the making, it s presented to the Omaha City Council in the summer of 2007, which approves the changes. 12

Below is a sampling of projects that illustrate how Omaha by Design works. urban design element environmental element environment omaha Cole Creek Project Public Art Omaha Benson-Ames Alliance Prairie in the Park Project The Cole Creek Project, a $1.6 million investment in the Benson- Ames Alliance, is the first to follow the City of Omaha s Urban Design Element recommendation calling for the transformation of the Papio Creek waterways into a public park and recreation system. The project focused on the upper portion of Cole Creek from its headwaters south of Sorensen Parkway to Hartman Avenue. It was designed to stabilize the creek, improve its water quality and enhance the recreational use of Orchard Park. Omaha by Design and the Omaha Public Art Commission have launched www.publicartomaha.org, a website that celebrates the important role public art plays in the civic life of our city and its companion mobile phone app, which is available for Android- and ios- powered phones. The web site s database currently features more than 300 works. The Benson-Ames Alliance is a grassroots group of community leaders formed in 2005 to help guide the revitalization of the historic Benson- Ames area in northwest Omaha. Its goal is to become a sustainable community that actively seeks a balance between its built and natural environments. The group selected the revitalization of the downtown Benson corridor as its first priority. Omaha by Design serves as the project manager. The Prairie in the Park project a partnership of Omaha by Design, the City of Omaha and the Benson-Ames Alliance is introducing prairie plantings to appropriate parcels of city park property throughout the metro, which offer both aesthetic and economic value. To date, a two-acre urban prairie test plot featuring a mix of prairie grasses and wildflowers has been planted in Benson Park. 14 15

The Environmental Element calls for the creation of a city that ensures all people have equitable access to foods, services and opportunities that support their emotional, mental, social, spiritual and physical well-being. a new policy initiative In 2008, Omaha by Design and the City of Omaha partner once again to plan for the development of the last missing component of the city s master plan the Environmental Element. Relying on local expertise to lead the effort, the partnership convenes a working group, a core committee and five advisory committees to develop the content. Mike McMeekin Steve Jensen The new environmental document addresses five areas: the natural environment, urban form and transportation, building construction, resource conservation and community health. In addition to traditional community engagement techniques, emerging technology is used to solicit public Rick Cunningham input. Two hundred-plus volunteers log more than 4,000 hours during the development process. Mike McMeekin, Lamp Rynearson & Associates, and Steve Jensen, Jensen Consulting, serve as cochairs of the effort alongside Rick Cunningham, Omaha s planning director. 17

a more sustainable omaha The vision outlined in the Environmental Element calls for an Omaha in which the air and water are clean, the buildings are energy efficient, the landscaping is both functional and attractive, the children walk or ride their bikes to school, the landfill is less full, the shops are within walking distance, the creeks are recreational outlets, the homes are safe, the access to healthy food and economic opportunity is balanced, and the streets are welcoming to cars, walkers, cyclists and users of mass transit. The Omaha City Council adopts the document as a component of the city s master plan in 2010. Thanks to lessons learned by the partnership involved in creating both the Urban Design Element, with its $725,000 budget, and its corresponding package of regulations, with its $449,800 budget, the price tag for the Environmental Element s two-year development process is $75,000. The Environmental Element calls for ensuring that land use and development patterns safeguard natural ecosystems and resources while providing for the long-term health of the community s economy, social climate and people. 19

Omaha s leadership understands the economic importance of keeping Omaha competitive by making it a place where people choose to live and work in a time when people can choose to live and work almost anywhere. The leadership and the public now see how urban design and planning can help improve their city. Jonathan Barnett, Urban Planner Urban Design Element Consultant Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC omaha by design today

our process omahabydesign Omaha by Design facilitates partnerships between the public, private and philanthropic sectors to execute projects that improve the quality of the metro s built and natural environments. Our niche is convening and managing diverse groups of people, all of whom have a stake in the issue at hand. Issues are identified by consensus and address unmet community need in the urban design and environmental arenas. Omaha by Design is a civic planning organization dedicated to the development, implementation and monitoring of urban design and environmental public policy in the metro. We conduct research, recruit community members to serve on working teams and manage the meeting, community engagement and public relations functions associated with a project. Upon completion of a project, we monitor the local environment for progress and advocate as necessary. 22

our support Omaha by Design relies upon the support of corporate and family philanthropists for operating expenses as well as technical experts and other volunteers who contribute their resources to the organization. The annual gross in-kind contribution of Omaha by Design s volunteers is estimated at a conservative $300,000. The Omaha Community Foundation provides administrative support and a 501(c)(3) status, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha provides office space. Fundraising is conducted for individual projects. During the past decade, 32 donors have provided more than $1,806,750 in operating support. These funds have been leveraged to attract more than $3,631,135 in project funding. 25

our people John Gottschalk Bruce Lauritzen Ken Stinson Bob Bates Barb Haggart Rex Fisher David Levy Mike Fahey David Brown Del Weber Teresa Gleason Connie Spellman Chris Hall Meza Omaha by Design is governed by a six-member board of directors: John Gottschalk, Bruce Lauritzen, Ken Stinson, Mike Fahey, David Brown and Del Weber (ex-officio). The organization also receives community input from an advisory committee representing a diverse array of professions, including developers, engineers, architects, planners and landscape architects; city government staff in parks, planning and public works; and representatives from the chamber and neighborhood groups. The advisory committee has been led by the following individuals during the past decade: Bob Bates and Barb Haggart, co-chairs (inaugural); Rex Fisher (2004 to 2011); Del Weber (interim); and David Levy (current). Connie Spellman is the founding director. Staff members are Teresa Gleason, program manager, and Chris Hall Meza, executive assistant. 26 27

omahabydesign c/o UNO 6001 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68182-0402 402.554.4010 phone 402.554.4013 fax info@omahabydesign.org www.omahabydesign.org Follow Omaha by Design on Facebook and Twitter. Cover photo by Ken Smith, page 6 photo from www.flickr.com/people/markjms, photos on pages 20 and 23 by Bill Cobb.