January 11, 2012
A December article by Mike Myatt in Forbes contends that one of the most often overlooked aspects of leadership is the need for pursuit. He writes, “Leadership is pursuit – pursuit of excellence, of elegance, of truth, of what’s next, of what if, of change, of value, of results, of relationships, of service, of knowledge, and of something bigger than themselves.”
As Omaha by Design enters its second decade of service to the community in 2012, this idea is at the core of our decision to move forward as an organization.
This past summer, we began a rigorous strategic planning process to determine our future. Should we disband and celebrate the success of the past 10 years, or is it necessary and viable for Omaha by Design to continue in 2012 and beyond? We reached out to our founding donors and the community via our large-scale advisory committee, a group representing a diverse array of professions, city government staff, and representatives from the chamber and neighborhood groups. Their collective response was an overwhelming vote in favor of continuing our work. Why?
The answer that continued to crop up was our city’s need for pursuit, the need for a local organization that can bring the public, private and philanthropic sectors together to focus on the execution of projects that will fulfill the promise of Omaha’s urban design and environmental planning documents – items that were crafted with our help during the past decade.
Although we will continue to explore opportunities for undertaking new planning efforts that are critical to Omaha’s forward momentum, we are shifting our focus to project execution and monitoring – getting it done and making sure it stays done.
Our intent, as it always has been, is making our community better by improving the way it functions, looks and feels. The framework for future activity will continue to be the urban design and environmental components of the city’s master plan.
Our methods will change, depending upon the project. We will lead, and we will support. We will launch, and we will monitor. We will champion, and we will question.
Our collaborative approach, however, will not change, nor will our commitment to our core values. We believe:
- Omaha by Design’s role as a catalyst in the urban design and environmental arenas substantially impacts the region’s ability to achieve design excellence.
- Proactive collaboration and education, inclusivity, consideration of diverse opinions and constructive approaches to disagreement result in the development of solutions to complex issues.
- Great cities respect their natural, cultural, historic, architectural and neighborhood assets.
- Engaged residents can influence the function, look and feel of a community’s built and natural environments. Optimal choices are impossible without their participation.
- A community’s built and natural environments substantially impact its economy, health and culture as well as issues of race and class.
- The 21st century will require working and living environments that are aesthetically pleasing, accessible, meaningful, humane and uplifting to the human spirit.
A quick word about education – a term that finds its way into the vision statements of many a nonprofit. We believe people learn by seeing and by doing, and we plan to step up our efforts to create opportunities that allow this type of learning to happen. A few examples…
- On Jan. 25, a group of community volunteers convened by Omaha by Design will meet to begin identifying local groups that are currently addressing the recommendations outlined in Omaha’s new Environmental Element (EE). Adopted as a component of Omaha’s master plan in December 2010, the EE contains more than 600 recommendations related to creating a more sustainable city. The recommendations that aren’t being addressed will be prioritized. Omaha by Design will then look at launching a series of implementation projects based on the prioritized list.
- In the coming weeks, Omaha by Design – in partnership with the City of Omaha – will launch a pilot project aimed at encouraging the preservation and economic vitality of Omaha’s historic neighborhoods. The project is the outgrowth of work conducted by Omaha by Design’s Conservation, Preservation and Restoration (CPR) Committee, which was formed in late 2010 to begin looking at what role the organization could play in augmenting existing preservation efforts in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro.
- In March, Omaha by Design will begin its 11th year of offering free Place Game workshops to neighborhood and civic groups interested in improving their corner of the city. The ideas generated during the workshop often become the subject of applications to local neighborhood grant programs. More than 70 Place Game workshops have been conducted to date. To schedule a workshop in 2012, call 402.554.4010 or email info@omahabydesign.org.
- This spring, Omaha by Design will launch a Cole Creek Adopt a Stream Team in conjunction with Nathan Hale Middle School and other interested groups. The team will focus its efforts on the stretch of Cole Creek that runs through Orchard Park – the site of The Cole Creek Project.
If you’re looking for a one-sentence way to describe the future of Omaha by Design, we’re teaching our city to care for what it has while building for a sustainable future. This will mean questioning the status quo and not settling for traditional practice, static thinking, conventional wisdom and common performance – all of which comes with the territory for those in pursuit, Myatt writes.
Our city deserves nothing less – we welcome you to join us.
