Voice

This PBS documentary explores how other cities have dealt with, and continue to deal with, transportation planning and how their choices affect their cities. There is a lot of interesting information about Denver’s beltway and Portland’s mass transit, both of which are very relevant to the conversations happening in Omaha now.

Blueprint America: Road to the Future, an original documentary part of a PBS multi-platform series on the country’s aging and changing infrastructure, goes to three very different American cities — Denver, New York and Portland, and their surrounding suburbs — to look at each as an example of the challenges and possibilities the country faces as citizens, local and federal officials, and planners struggle to manage a growing America with innovative transportation and sustainable land use policies.

No Comments »

Happy New Year! We are excited to announce that we’ve recovered from the holidays and have all the details for the rescheduled VOICE membership meeting in order and ready for public consumption. We’ll have a great lineup of panelists on hand at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts on Tuesday January 26, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

Our panel discussion and meeting will focus on how Omaha’s urban design and development patterns affect our community’s equal opportunity and social mobility. You identified these two issues as the most important during our first membership meeting a few months ago. They are unquestionably linked, and our discussion will dig deeper into how the growth of our city is impacting those who are less fortunate.

Some of you may have seen The Reader’s December article focused on the beltway being proposed by MAPA. Such a project is a perfect example of the kinds of development patterns that need to be closely scrutinized. Such an investment will have long-lasting ramifications on our city.

During our membership meeting, we will learn more about the relationship between urban development and social mobility to ensure we’re all educated on the issue. We will then have a membership discussion about what action, if any, we as an organization should take as it relates to this issue. We hope you will attend to help ensure your voice is heard and we’re moving in the right direction.

VOICE PUBLIC MEETING
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
All Ages Welcome
6:00 PM Doors
6:30 Meeting

Featured Panelists:
- Rick Cunningham, City of Omaha Planning Director
- Connie Spellman, Executive Director, Omaha by Design
- Willie Barney, President, Empower Omaha
- Jamie Grayson-Berglund, Director of Community Development, Greater Omaha Chamber

See you there!

1 Comment »

If you’ve ever wanted to engage in a discussion about Omaha’s urban design and find out how it affects our community’s equal opportunity and social mobility, plan on attending next Wednesday’s Public VOICE Meeting. We’ve assembled a “dream team” of some of the areas greatest planning and design resources, including Omaha’s current city planner. This is your chance to listen, learn, ask questions, and join in the dialogue about the future design — both concrete and communal — of our city.

VOICE PUBLIC MEETING
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
All Ages Welcome
6 PM Sharp

Featured Panelists:
- Marty Shukert, Urban Planner & Principal, RDG Planning & Design
- Rick Cunningham, City of Omaha Planning Director
- Connie Spellman, Executive Director, Omaha by Design
- Willie Barney, President, Empower Omaha
- Jamie Grayson-Berglund, Executive Director, Destination Midtown

Pass this invite along to anyone who might be interested and bring a friend or two to next week’s meeting. The greater our numbers, the greater our involvement, the greater our VOICE!

See you there!

No Comments »