Lincoln's good and growing economy (Omaha: for sale, 2010, how much)

[ehenningsen]

Source: http://www.dol.state.ne.us/nwd/workserv/jobcareer/pubs/rapubs/2006/Lincoln.pdf (broken link)

Labor Force 2000: 158,334
Labor Force 2005: 167,308
Increase in 5 years: about 9,000 including the increasing commute numbers
to omaha, I would sa that isn't bad, its on pace to be a 15% increase from 2000 at the year 2010..Especially some of the hits Lincoln took a few years ago like Gallup leaving to Omaha etc.. Lincoln is doing really well despite...

Population: 2005 to 2000
Lincoln city Nebraska 239,213 236,979 235,362 231,974 228,995 227,104 226,310 225,581
Source: http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/...EST2005-01.xls

With Lincoln's population growth, it can't have too many for sale signs...

[MattDen]

The labor force might be expanding, but where's the employment base.

The labor force might be increasing, but Lincoln has only added 400 people in 63 months to its employment base while Omaha has added 8,800 people.

Also it seems like alot of people are increasingly commuting to Omaha.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by MattDen

The labor force might be expanding, but where's the employment base.

The labor force might be increasing, but Lincoln has only added 400 people in 63 months to its employment base while Omaha has added 8,800 people.

Also it seems like alot of people are increasingly commuting to Omaha.

They are, Lincoln took a few hits this decade with plant closings, but I think it's doing okay, Omaha is the city that is rocking this decade though...

[ehenningsen]

I like Lincoln, it has some good things to it, but compared to Omaha's dynamic leadership and ongoing strong efforts that make Omaha a top city in america...Lincoln's strageties compared to Omaha really are kinda poor.. The city does very little to reinvent itself and has subpar urban planning methods.

Also you are right when you say that Lincoln's increasing population is basically from the rural areas, Omaha is mixed rural and an ever increasing number from other large cities and international immigration..

Lincoln I would say for a northern city is above average for economy, but that may be related to the fact that it is so close to Omaha that it is practically a bedroom community to the city.. But I will agree that Lincoln's leadership is subpar for what it could be and that is based off of years of experience following this type of thing, and if the leadership was to improve we could be watching Lincoln take off as a community...

All of lIncoln's efforts are basically copy-cat off of Omaha, and I to some degree it works, but being htat it is a completely different city, some things work and some dont... This is just what I see, I maybe wrong though..

[ehenningsen]

One last thing I want to mention...
In the 80's and 90's Lincoln had a horrible policy of grow as you go..
basically it was a plan that involved no urban planning, however, that changed like 5-7 years back and slowly Lincoln in coming around, as a matter of fact the chamber of commerce for lincoln has been working with the chamber of Omaha for more unity as it is becoming more of a combined metro as they grow towards each other and tug on cities in between...
Lincoln will continue to get better, as they learn to be more progressive like Omaha... And I think in the last year we are seeing hints of this progress in DT and renewed efforts for their urban plan... Lincoln is a new mid-sized city and it is just beginning to learn how to behave like one...
Let's give Lincoln the benefit of the doubt... they are beginning to really try...

[kosnebbear]

I have to agree with you on the subpar leadership of Lincoln. It seems like they are afraid to expand if it is not in their own personal interest, much like the Wal-Mart issue with the Mayor of Lincoln. The store was not what she had in mind for that part of Lincoln. If I was the owners of Wal-Mart then I would point out how the areas where they did bulid a store developed and how much Lincoln grew around my stores. Then if the great Mayor of Lincoln still did not look at what I could do for her city then I would shut down my stores for a period of time and let her see what it would be like without growth.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by kosnebbear

I have to agree with you on the subpar leadership of Lincoln. It seems like they are afraid to expand if it is not in their own personal interest, much like the Wal-Mart issue with the Mayor of Lincoln. The store was not what she had in mind for that part of Lincoln. If I was the owners of Wal-Mart then I would point out how the areas where they did bulid a store developed and how much Lincoln grew around my stores. Then if the great Mayor of Lincoln still did not look at what I could do for her city then I would shut down my stores for a period of time and let her see what it would be like without growth.

Yeah, I couldn't understand the walmart issue...
Lincoln for a long time benefited from the University and several very solid top paying companies and well above average growth, so I'm thinking there was a time that they may not have needed policies, but they learned in the 90's after that huge growth spurt, that they really need to manage the growth better.. And the last five years it has improven, the walmart issue is killing me as well as a few others, but whats important is that they are starting to behave like a mid-sized city should, and hopefully learn from Omaha about behaving like a great city should, as lincoln is and should stay one...

[ehenningsen]

Lincoln #56 out of 361 for overall standard of living..
nearby omaha #18