February 10, 2010
Think of it as the visual guide to Omaha’s new zoning code provisions related to urban design.
The Urban Design Handbook for Omaha, a work in progress, has been created by the city’s planning department to help a variety of audiences understand the principles behind the groundbreaking package of zoning code changes and additions adopted by the Omaha City Council in 2007 that help bring the Urban Design Element (UDE) to life. “Written or verbal descriptions are not as effective as photographs of existing buildings or conditions,” said Jed Moulton, manager of urban design in the city’s planning department.
The idea for the handbook stemmed from a recommendation made by the volunteer Technical Advisory Group that helped draft the package of UDE zoning code changes and additions. Its content, organized by zoning code section numbers, contains brief narratives of each of the provisions and the principles they represent. It also includes general background information for urban villages and street design as well as a “call for photographs.” Local design firms are invited to submit photographs of projects they feel are good examples of the provisions. The firms will receive photo credits for their work if their submissions are used.
In addition to serving as a guide for concerned citizens, developers, architects, engineers, other design professionals, city staff and the general public, the handbook is being used by the Urban Design Review Board as a way to achieve a consistent interpretation of the urban design zoning provisions, Moulton said. The Urban Design Review Board, which has been in operation since 2009, was created based upon a recommendation in the Urban Design Element.
A PDF of The Urban Design Handbook for Omaha can be downloaded from http://www.cityofomaha.org/planning/urbanplanning/design-guidelines. Moulton said the planning department intends to update and revise the inaugural document on a regular basis. The next version will include more local examples and more descriptions of building design guidelines.
For more information, contact Moulton at 402.444.5208 or Jed.Moulton@ci.omaha.ne.us.
Omaha by Design partnered with the City of Omaha to create the Urban Design Element in 2004 and the subsequent package of zoning code changes and additions in 2007. For more information, visit http://www.omahabydesign.org/projects/urban-design-element.