Environmental Element
Throughout Omaha, growing numbers of citizens are beginning to believe their city can and should be a more sustainable place, a community in which the air and water are clean, the buildings are energy efficient, the landscaping is both functional and attractive, the children walk or ride their bikes to school, the landfill is less full, the shops are within walking distance, the creeks are recreational outlets, the homes are safe, the access to healthy food and economic opportunity is balanced, and the streets are welcoming to cars, walkers, cyclists and users of mass transit.
In 2008, Omaha by Design partnered with the City of Omaha to create the Environmental Element, a planning tool that establishes a comprehensive new environmental vision for Omaha. It consists of more than 600 recommendations in five areas: Building Construction, Community Health, the Natural Environment, Resource Conservation, and Urban Form & Transportation. The Environmental Element was unanimously approved by the Omaha City Council and incorporated into the City of Omaha’s Master Plan in December 2010.
The City of Omaha has launched www.cityofomaha.org/ecomaha, a collaborative effort to realize the goals identified in the Environmental Element. It will be used to identify and communicate the policies, programs, projects and progress related to Omaha’s sustainability initiatives.
Omaha by Design is pursuing a strategy – known as Environment Omaha – to help address the Environmental Element’s recommendations. ObD has convened the Environment Omaha Implementation Team (EOIT), comprised of public and private community leaders, to help guide the implementation of the recommendations. Fund raising will be conducted to execute EOIT projects.
For more information, call 402.554.4010 or email info@omahabydesign.org. You can also follow Environment Omaha on Facebook and Twitter.