Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Omaha by Design?
Omaha by Design, an initiative of the Omaha Community Foundation, is an organization dedicated to making our city vibrant, connected and distinctive.  In 2003, Omaha by Design partnering with Mayor Mike Fahey and the City Planning Department initiated a two-year urban design planning process to create a comprehensive urban design plan. The result was an Urban Design Element for the City’s Master Plan.

Upon acceptance of the Urban Design Element by the Planning Board and the City Council, in December 2004, Omaha by Design began working with the City and private donors to outline a 2005 Program of Work. It prioritizes the implementation of the 73 recommendations identified in the Urban Design Element and includes attainable goals in each of the three Urban Design Element categories: Green Omaha, which deals with landscape and our natural environment; Civic Omaha, which addresses the built environment and civic infrastructure, and Neighborhood Omaha, which focuses on preservation of older neighborhoods, improving newer neighborhoods and creating walkable new neighborhoods as the City continues to grow.

The priority goal in Neighborhood Omaha was the formation of the 15 alliances identified in the Urban Design Element. Mayor Mike Fahey selected the Benson-Ames area as the first district to develop an alliance and neighborhood plan.  Omaha by Design formed a partnership with Mayor Fahey and the City Planning Department to add an additional component to the plan, the Alliance Model Process, to create a replicable planning process for the City Planning Department to use in the other 14 alliance districts.

What is an alliance?
An alliance is a partnership of neighborhood associations, community organizations, and business groups working together to promote the community’s economic and social vitality.

Alliances serve as a mid-level planning increment between issues that affect the whole city and those that affect individual neighborhoods.  At this level of planning, alliances meaningfully influence community-specific conditions.  By providing more localized information, alliances help determine the delivery of City services, neighborhood recreation and commercial centers; housing needs; and the form of development or renovation in the area, as well as identify the types of services, businesses, and organizations necessary to for a healthy community.

What is the Benson-Ames Alliance and where are its boundaries?
The Benson-Ames Alliance is a partnership of area neighborhood and business associations, education, social service and civic organizations, developers, lawyers, design professionals, community and religious leaders working together to promote the area’s economic and social vitality.

The Benson-Ames Alliance encompasses the area between Western Avenue on the south, Sorensen Parkway on the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard on the east and 72nd Street on the west.  The alliance area includes a large portion of north-central Omaha, an area of roughly six square miles and more than 19,000 households.

What is an alliance plan?
An alliance plan identifies specific issues such as transportation, housing, land use, design, zoning, public policy, environmental conditions and economic stability.  The plan then outlines goals, objectives and policies for addressing each identified issue.

What is the relationship with Destination Midtown?
Destination Midtown was already established when Omaha by Design began its comprehensive planning process. Jonathan Barnett, Omaha by Design’s urban design consultant, was familiar with Destination Midtown’s success in bringing together leaders of 11 neighborhood associations with business and educational institutions to discuss issues relating to the future of the midtown area.  As Mr. Barnett began the identification of issues in Neighborhood Omaha, he built upon the Destination Midtown model and proposed the city draw boundaries creating 15 Alliances across the city.

The Omaha by Design recommendation was accepted and the Alliance planning concept is now officially a part of the Omaha Master Plan.  The Destination Midtown plan has also been approved by the Planning Board and City Council.

Mayor Mike Fahey selected the Benson-Ames Alliance as the first Alliance for the City Planning Department to address.  Since it is the first City initiated Alliance district, Omaha by Design partnered to help create a planning model process that could be replicated in the 13 other Alliances.  The model process will include bringing additional community resources such as UNO, to assist the planning department in this large task.       

Who will guide the Benson-Ames Alliance Plan and Model Process?
Four organizations will collaborate and work with the community and the Benson-Ames Alliance Advisory Committee in developing the plan. They are Omaha by Design, the Office of Mayor Mike Fahey, the City Planning Department and the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).

Dr. Del Weber, Chancellor Emeritus, UNO, and Steve Jensen, City Planning Director, will lead the process and co-chair the Benson-Ames Alliance Advisory Committee and public input sessions. Bill Henry, former First National Bank executive vice president, will serve as honorary chairman.  Bill currently serves as swim coach for Benson High School and Gallagher Swim Team.

Omaha by Design is the project manager and will assist the Advisory Committee and consulting team throughout the process.  Omaha by Design will also assist in educating policy makers on the importance of the Benson-Ames Alliance and advocating for its approval.

Who is the Benson-Ames Alliance Advisory Committee?
The Benson-Ames Alliance Advisory Committee is made up of representatives of neighborhood associations, local businesses, social service agencies and other community organizations in the Benson-Ames Alliance area.

The Advisory Committee will bring together diverse neighborhood and community organizations with varying levels of organizational capacity, economic concerns and social perspectives to identify the assets and liabilities of the community. The Advisory Committee will regularly evaluate the Benson-Ames Alliance development and will give its final approval of the development plan.  The Committee will also assist with a series of area-wide community input sessions and design workshops to identify issues and common problems, suggest potential solutions and map area assets.

Who is the consulting team?
Gould Evans Associates, LC of Kansas City, Missouri is the consulting firm selected to guide the Alliance process.  David Knopick, AICP, the project director and principle facilitator; Brian Hamilton, urban designer and illustrator, and Graham Smith, urban planner, comprise the Gould Evans team.  Two Omaha consultants will be assisting Gould Evans: Bob Peters of Robert Peters Company and Robert Griffin, P.E. of Ehrhart Griffin & Associates. 

Faculty, staff and students from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) at UNO will conduct research and demographic analysis.   Robert Blair, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Director of Urban Studies, will serve as the UNO coordinator.  Research projects will include a neighborhood survey, an inventory of housing conditions, and a demographic and economic study.

Who approves the plan?
After receiving Advisory Committee approval, the Benson-Ames Alliance Plan and the Alliance Model Process will be presented to the Planning Board and City Council for approval and incorporation into the City of Omaha Master Plan.

Who is paying for the plan?
The cost of the project is being shared through public and private donations. As of September 27th, the following organizations have provided funding for the plan:

Project Sponsors         

Project Donors

Local Supporters

What is the timeline for the Benson-Ames Alliance Plan and Alliance Model Process?
The project will be announced September 29, 2005, and will be completed in approximately twelve months.

Where can I find more information?
The Benson-Ames Alliance’s official website is www.benson-ames.org.  To learn more about the Urban Design Element and Neighborhood Omaha, please visit Omaha by Design’s website, www.omahabydesign.org.

Email teresa@omahabydesign.org to receive updates on the progress of the Benson-Ames Alliance and other Omaha by Design initiatives.