OTOC's Metro Area Development Committee (MAD)

OMAHA MASTER PLAN -- CONCEPTS

Urban Form and Design

The City of Omaha will establish the basic development patterns for the city. The City will utilize its regulatory authority in combination with development incentives to guide the balanced and contiguous growth of the city and to encourage the redevelopment of deteriorating central city areas. 

The City will utilize a pattern of growth that is based on a series of activity centers of varying sizes serving different parts of the metropolitan area. These will range from small centers serving surrounding neighborhood to the downtown which serves as the dominant center for the entire region. 

The basic development pattern for Omaha will be based on a series of high-density mixed-use areas that together contain the majority of the city’s employment, shopping, services, open space and medium-to-high density housing. The bulk of the city’s low-density housing will be in areas surrounding high-density mixed-use areas. 

The City of Omaha will ensure that areas of the city are cohesive in terms of appearance and function. The City will require that proposed projects be considered within the context of their surroundings and that they be consistent with an overall design concept that considers the interrelationship of buildings, parking, open space, pedestrian movement and existing site features.

The historic park and boulevard system will be retained and enhanced. Special consideration will be given to the beautification of major entries into Omaha in order to improve the City’s image. 

Regulations, incentives and policies for the preservation, protection and re-establishment of sensitive natural features will be developed and enforced. 

Policies which emphasize higher density development, adaptive reuse, and infill will be used to reduce farmland and energy consumption, increase access to natural features, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. The expansion of the city will be regulated to prevent wasted services and loss of resources.

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