[McBain II]

Pretty good article here from the Omaha World Herald.

New vision: Sustainable prosperity - Omaha.com

Omaha city, corporate and community leaders want to redirect the city’s development and construction practices toward a more environmentally friendly future.



Under their plan, sprawling suburban development is out. Redeveloping existing parts of the city gets a boost. And new buildings eventually would become so energy-efficient and green that they would be “zero energy” users.


The recommendations are part of a broad proposal for a new environmental action plan for the City of Omaha that is heading toward consideration by both the Planning Board and City Council. The Planning Board holds a hearing on the Environment Omaha initiative Wednesday.


Organizers say Omaha’s future prosperity is at stake.
Omaha is built as a city dependent on resources that have been cheap and easy to get, said Mike McMeekin, president of engineering and urban planning firm Lamp, Rynearson & Associates and co-chairman of Environment Omaha. But in the future, he said, global population growth and energy consumption will put increasing restrictions on Omaha.


“What we’ve done in the past is not sustainable in the future from an economic standpoint, as much as environmentally,” McMeekin said.

I especially liked this part...

Among the plan’s goals:

— Making Omaha a more compact city, allowing some room for the city to expand but favoring developments — from the suburbs to the inner city — that are packed more tightly with offices, businesses and housing.


— Creating new tax incentives and changing a heavily used property tax incentive (tax-increment financing) to encourage more development in established parts of Omaha.

...and this part...

— Targeting empty and worn-out commercial sites for redevelopment, whether in the inner city or in aging suburban areas.

Maybe now we won't have to listen to Billiefan constantly complianing about that goddamn Target on Saddle Creek.

[pheaton]

If they make it happen instead of just talking about it. . That would be great.

Certain areas are just prone to decay. It's just the nature of the area, be it low income people that can't afford aesthetic repair, or whatever the situation is; it's going to happen. So the city has to inject money somehow into those areas to keep them at least looking nice. The Saddle Creek area is a good place, but don't stop at the former Target building, move north and help the area North of Cuming street. How about 16th, or 24th or 30th to the north and west of the new stadium? Those are main roads that have really crummy looking buildings all along.

[McBain II]

I agree, especially about 16th, 24th and 30th street. Those corridors used to be very nice and active areas. It would be nice if we could follow the lead of the South Omaha community and rehab those.

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

I agree, especially about 16th, 24th and 30th street. Those corridors used to be very nice and active areas. It would be nice if we could follow the lead of the South Omaha community and rehab those.

16th street downtown for sure needs to be redone.


it is a joke. mostly empty buildings. speaking of 16th street, what is the deal with the bar in the brandeis building food court

(I think it is O'Hanlon or something like that it will be called)

that was supposed to open back in the spring. they are still doing construction on that place.

[billiefan2000]

ames avenue also needs to be redone as well. (around 48th t0 52nd street for sure)

[HandBanana]

We're never gonna make it to 672nd street with that kind of defeatist attitude.

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by HandBanana

We're never gonna make it to 672nd street with that kind of defeatist attitude.

wouldnt 672 street be somewhere out west near columbus nebraska?

[Raphael07]

No, still twenty miles out hahaha. Assuming Omaha would continue with the twelve streets to a mile thing it would be 39 miles west of 204th street, the nearest city would be Brainard in Butler county.

[Busguy2010]

I'm very glad to know that they have acknowledged that there needs to be more infill. Suburbs kind of suck compared to the innercity. In the inercity, people have to rely much less on their cars to get to the places they want to be and being able to take a bus is much more relaxing than driving my car. By the way, if you live in the innercity, the Metro doesn't suck quite like it does in the suburbs, or, the northwest suburbs to be specific. I don't know why you would want to have to spend like 100 dollars a month on gas, and have to drive every single time you want to go do something. It only sucks to access the CBD when you live in the suburbs, because the drive is something like 30 minutes and by bus, it's 45 to an hour, not including the drive to a bus stop, which is what most have to do. If you live in the urban environment, it could only take 10 minutes to drive and maybe 30 minutes by bus, with much less of a headache at the end of the day. I always used to dream Omaha to be huge, and the biggest city in america, but then I realized, what is it to be the biggest city in the country when the population density is the lowest. I kind of feel like I'm talking about KC... But wait, even they're investing huge amounts into their core and have been trying for years to get light rail, which would help with density even more. We should and are doing things that are going to be great for the urban core and we should continue these things. Light rail would be awesome for us. I say, forget Dodge street as a main arterial to move people from the suburbs to the CBD and make it a rail corridor with at most two lanes in each direction, with phase 1 rail line from the airport to Westroads. Then, if and only if it is needed, extend it west to Elkhorn, but put it off as long as possible, because a light rail line in the suburbs will only promote development in the suburbs.

I think if we try, we can keep Omaha from growing in land space, but grow in population for at least 30 years if we have good infill and great public transportation.

[Michael Weston]

I feel I'm going to regret this as these conversations "always" seem to turn nasty...

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

I'm very glad to know that they have acknowledged that there needs to be more infill. Suburbs kind of suck compared to the innercity.

Your opinion. I loathed living downtown.

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

In the inercity, people have to rely much less on their cars to get to the places they want to be and being able to take a bus is much more relaxing than driving my car.

I rather enjoy driving my car. Personally, I never much cared for the bus, even in cities where it's well established. I'd actually rather walk.

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

I don't know why you would want to have to spend like 100 dollars a month on gas, and have to drive every single time you want to go do something

I don't care where you are in Omaha, you need to drive at some point to get to different places. We aren't so centralized that you can live in one spot and have "everything" you need or be near "everything" you want. Granted, I realize that's your point and what you want to change, but that's just not realistic right now. Stating it like that's how it would be if we just moved downtown is false.

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

It only sucks to access the CBD when you live in the suburbs, because the drive is something like 30 minutes and by bus, it's 45 to an hour, not including the drive to a bus stop, which is what most have to do. If you live in the urban environment, it could only take 10 minutes to drive and maybe 30 minutes by bus, with much less of a headache at the end of the day

I'll agree to the timeframes. But living in my own house, with my own yard, in the suburbs...for me....far outweighs that drive time.

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

I always used to dream Omaha to be huge, and the biggest city in america, but then I realized, what is it to be the biggest city in the country when the population density is the lowest. I kind of feel like I'm talking about KC... But wait, even they're investing huge amounts into their core and have been trying for years to get light rail, which would help with density even more. We should and are doing things that are going to be great for the urban core and we should continue these things. Light rail would be awesome for us. I say, forget Dodge street as a main arterial to move people from the suburbs to the CBD and make it a rail corridor with at most two lanes in each direction, with phase 1 rail line from the airport to Westroads. Then, if and only if it is needed, extend it west to Elkhorn, but put it off as long as possible, because a light rail line in the suburbs will only promote development in the suburbs.

I'm not a city planner, so I can't comment on your plan. Regardless, I don't oppose the rejuvenation and/or focus on the urban areas of Omaha. More progressive urban designs and whatnot. However, there will always be suburbs of some fashion. There will always be a percentage of the population that prefers to have a house and a yard. That won't go away. It may not exist quite like it does today, but it'll be there.