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The Flatwater
Metroplex: Envisioning Regional Design
 The
Flatwater Metroplex is a 3000- square mile region encompassing the
cities of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs,
Iowa. Including two states, 119 communities and parts of 16
counties, the Flatwater Metroplex is challenged by conflicting
political jurisdictions marked by a lack of agreement on preferred
patterns of growth, divergent economic development aspirations,
competitiveness, and uncoordinated planning policies.
The region’s natural assets include diverse ecosystems
defined by the confluence of two major rivers, the Platte and the
Missouri. Abundant resources including wind power and a four-season
solar climate are underutilized, while other resources including rich
agricultural lands are under increasing stress from rapid suburban
growth. A combination of urban and rural interests, the region is in
conflict over how it should grow. As is true in most of the western
United States, a reliable supply of water is an issue. Ready
or not, however, the region expects to double in population in the next
40 years. How will the Flatwater Metroplex absorb this growth
in a sustainable, livable manner?
 AIA
Nebraska with Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable
Communities identified an enormous number of stakeholders in the future
of the region—city, state, and local governments and
agencies, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), non-profits, community
groups, and a diverse range of interest groups and citizens.
Adding to this body a range of professionals—architects,
planners, landscape architects, green building experts and others, AIA
Nebraska convened meetings, gathered data, and finally held a visioning
session in conjunction with the AIA Central States Regional Conference
in September 2006.
Organized in six charrettes, the visioning exercise examined two
scenarios—following current growth trends or planning on a
regional scale using sustainable principles that consider the all five
domains of sustainability—environment, society and culture,
economics (including economic development), technology (including
transportation), and public policy. The charrette teams focused on six
distinct area types:
- Urban core
- Near core neighborhoods
- Regional shopping centers
- New suburbs as conservation
communities
- Regional community
- An Interstate Highway Corridor
Following the visioning session several public planning workshops
looked at initiating, defining, and guiding a three year regional
planning program. The goals of these workshops included:
- Establishment of baseline indicators
- Identification of the most fragile
natural, social, and historic environments
- Policies to direct development
- Protection of agricultural land
- Equitable access to clean, ample
water supply
- Energy conservation
- A healthy lifestyle
As they examined six specific sites that could be considered
prototypes, they developed a number of recommendations. Below
are recommendations representative of the studies. The full
report is available at www.aiane.org
I-80 Corridor
Interchanges are gateways to
destinations not destinations themselves. Avoid development
along freeways to avoid competition with existing communities and
reduce congestion.
Communities in the Path of Growth
Review comprehensive plans to include
sub-area plans for development projects with additional protection for
land, water, mineral, and other natural resources.
Suburbs
Flexible distribution of housing density
and mixed uses.
Regional Shopping Malls
Reinvent the shopping mall as a
mixed-use transit hub
Near Urban Core
Enhance public green spaces that serve
as pedestrian links with the downtown and between neighborhoods.
Urban Core
Encourage sustainability in building
types/materials and transit options, and link public spaces through
green corridors and permeable street frontages.
View
all Blueprint Initiatives |
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