Omaha Development Update

[BoulderSooner]

Berkshire Hathaway stock?

yes .. 80.40 a share .. BRK-b .. stock

[Spartan]

yes .. 80.40 a share .. BRK-b .. stock

Right, but then those are hardly your shareholder's convention attendees. Look, I think it's stupid for the 1/99 argument to rear its head here, but it is what it is.

By the way, I just saw this, which is VERY cool. UN, what is this website?
http://www.omahabydesign.org/

[UrbanNebraska]

By the way, I just saw this, which is VERY cool. UN, what is this website?
http://www.omahabydesign.org/

Omaha by Design is a group set up a decade ago to promote smart growth for the city. Their first 5 years of existence was a series of studies, consultations, meetings and neighborhood association input. They drafted a set of design standards over that time and reported to the city which accepted their report and made the standards law throughout the entire city in 2007. They claimed Omaha to be the biggest city with these sweeping design standards in the country. I honestly don't know if it's true or not.

For instance sidewalks are mandatory in the city. Something I take for granted in Omaha, a lot of cities seem to struggle with this concept.
X amount of parking stalls demand a certain amount of landscaping. I don't know exact figures off the top of my head.
There are building material standards that must be met. Everything from a fast food restaurant, big box store, suburb development or urban development are bound by these equal standards.

Beyond the technical work they also work with neighborhood associations to revitalize neighborhoods. From as little as establishing community gardens to fundraising and lobbying the city for improved streetscapes in key districts across the city to master planning less established areas.

It really is enhancing the quality of life in Omaha. While I would love more skyscrapers and such I experience my city in the communities, not the clouds.

I spend a lot more time at my neighborhood's little vibrant corners than I do in the skyscraper or condo projects downtown. Although, I do love those projects and will continue to brag about them .

[Just the facts]

Omaha by Design is a group set up a decade ago to promote smart growth for the city.

...

X amount of parking stalls demand a certain amount of landscaping.

Surface parking lots should be discouraged everywhere and landscaping often restricts the free flow of pedestrian traffic because the developer usually rings their property in retention ponds, hedge rows, and flower beds that force pedestrians and bicyclist to use the same traffic patterns as automobiles. Just for fun, find a row of fast-food establishments and try to walk from one to the other. For even more action-packed fun let a 10 year old try it unassisted.

[UrbanNebraska]

Surface parking lots should be discouraged everywhere and landscaping often restricts the free flow of pedestrian traffic because the developer usually rings their property in retention ponds, hedge rows, and flower beds that force pedestrians and bicyclist to use the same traffic patterns as automobiles. Just for fun, find a row of fast-food establishments and try to walk from one to the other. For even more action-packed fun let a 10 year old try it unassisted.

Surface lots simply aren't going to go away in the suburbs. I don't like it, but it is a fact I accept thats why I don't live in the suburbs . I am glad they just aren't allowed to throw out a big asphalt square with out a 2nd thought and the companies bottom barrel designs like they used to allow.

There are even large surface lots in uber liberal bike friendly Fort Collins. I was blown away at their efforts to minimize the ugly affect parking lots and signage often have on cities. Glad to see Omaha on that train of thought.

Also for example as I mentioned sidewalks are mandatory everywhere in the city so I could just take that over to the next fast food joint.

[Spartan]

Omaha by Design is a group set up a decade ago to promote smart growth for the city. Their first 5 years of existence was a series of studies, consultations, meetings and neighborhood association input. They drafted a set of design standards over that time and reported to the city which accepted their report and made the standards law throughout the entire city in 2007. They claimed Omaha to be the biggest city with these sweeping design standards in the country. I honestly don't know if it's true or not.

For instance sidewalks are mandatory in the city. Something I take for granted in Omaha, a lot of cities seem to struggle with this concept.

The problem usually isn't making them mandatory in new developments, but rather addressing the areas built from 1960-2000 when sidewalks probably weren't mandatory. OKC, which also has mandatory sidewalks, still has most neighborhoods without proper pedestrian infrastructure. You can't go back and make an HOA (many areas exist without HOA) retroactively add them because there is no enforcement mechanism.

X amount of parking stalls demand a certain amount of landscaping. I don't know exact figures off the top of my head. There are building material standards that must be met. Everything from a fast food restaurant, big box store, suburb development or urban development are bound by these equal standards.

These are good things, I would ignore Kerry's (or JTF's) criticism. He means well. No such thing as bad landscaping, as IMO bad site plans will still be even worse site plans without a landscaping mechanism in city code.

Beyond the technical work they also work with neighborhood associations to revitalize neighborhoods. From as little as establishing community gardens to fundraising and lobbying the city for improved streetscapes in key districts across the city to master planning less established areas.

Yeah, from looking at their website, it looks like they do a bang-up job of focusing new revitalization efforts on the south side of Omaha which could use some work.

I spend a lot more time at my neighborhood's little vibrant corners than I do in the skyscraper or condo projects downtown. Although, I do love those projects and will continue to brag about them .

Well, most urbanists do prefer quality development over tall development. I think most of us on here would trade 1,000 units of residential infill for another skyscraper in our downtown (although we could use some "skyline infill" as of now). All in all looks like a very good movement in Omaha.

This one in particular will cause folks on here to be extra jealous:

[UrbanNebraska]

Yeah, from looking at their website, it looks like they do a bang-up job of focusing new revitalization efforts on the south side of Omaha which could use some work.

Yep! Their eyes are firmly on Vinton St. right now I can't wait to see this street in a few years.


One big time tenant is already moving in on that street, I think you may find them interesting as well Spartan. http://emergingterrain.org/ Yet another noprofit looking to make Omaha better.

Their biggest project to date is probably my favorite art installation in the whole city. Repurposing old grain elevators near I-80 into massive canvases.


Their new collection goes up later this month and is all about transportation.

They are also installing this on the 24th of this month.

[BoulderSooner]

Right, but then those are hardly your shareholder's convention attendees. Look, I think it's stupid for the 1/99 argument to rear its head here, but it is what it is.

By the way, I just saw this, which is VERY cool. UN, what is this website?
http://www.omahabydesign.org/

that may not be a "normal" shareholder convention attendee ... but from experience that is a very very large part of the BRK shareholders meeting