Omaha, only better.
Omaha by Design, an initiative of the Omaha Community Foundation, is dedicated to changing the face of Omaha through the use of urban design principles and citizen engagement. Founded in 2001 as Lively Omaha, the organization facilitates partnerships between the public and private sectors to execute projects that improve the quality of the natural and built environments throughout the metropolitan area.
Projects and activities center on three components: Green Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the city’s natural setting and public park system; Civic Omaha, which seeks to define and improve the city’s civic places and public image; and Neighborhood Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the diversity of the city’s residential neighborhoods. These components comprise the Urban Design Element of Omaha’s master plan, which establishes the city’s long-range policies, goals and standards as a guide for its physical development.
The organization is also expanding its efforts into the greening of the metropolitan area with a new focus on sustainable development practices.
The core philosophy of Omaha by Design is that residents of a community should take an active role in its betterment, intellectually as well as physically. This philosophy is showcased in the execution of projects and the offering of two free services — the Place Game and Place Definition workshops — in which trained facilitators help organizations brainstorm ways to improve the public spaces in their neighborhoods.
The Omaha Community Foundation provides Omaha by Design with office space and support services. Omaha by Design relies upon the support of corporate and family philanthropists for operating expenses as well as technical experts and other volunteers who contribute their resources to the organization. All Omaha by Design projects rely upon fund raising as the primary method of support.
For more information, contact Connie Spellman, director, at 402.342.3458 or connie@omahabydesign.org.
Omaha by Design Advisory Committee
Omaha by Design Staff
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