Omaha is planning its future, and residents are playing a key role in shaping how the city will grow over the next 20 years. The city's comprehensive plan, led by the "We Make Omaha" initiative, is gathering community input through a series of district dialogues across the city.
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City planner David Fanslau says the feedback from neighbors will directly influence Omaha's development strategy.
"We need to decide how the city is gonna look over the next 20 years because it's really about attracting people here to our city. It's about keeping people here it's about attracting employment, it's about providing housing for everyone," Fanslau said.
The comprehensive plan represents a significant shift in Omaha's growth approach. After decades of westward expansion, the city is facing natural boundaries that limit further outward development.
"We only have a certain amount of land left. So what does that mean? It means at some point we're done growing out west and so we have to build up," Fanslau said.
Residents attending the dialogues have expressed diverse priorities for Omaha's future. Mathew Manzo emphasized affordable housing as a critical concern.
"The low-income housing, and I think that that should be like a primary focus like around the whole city," Manzo said.
Ruva Tsoka highlighted the importance of developing existing areas within the city.
"Prioritizing infill development and other opportunities for other young professionals or emerging professionals," Tsoka said.
Public safety is another key concern driving participation. Max Kelly, a Millard West student, has been attending meetings to advocate for safer streets around schools after losing a classmate to a vehicle accident.
"I've been going to all the meetings. I've been trying to make, make it so it's more walkable, get people off the roads. I'm hoping that I hear stuff maybe about building a roundabout outside of Millard West or something anything just make schools safer, because I don't want any more tragedies like this to happen," Kelly said.
We Make Omaha is built around nine guiding principles that provide a framework for the city's vision. According to Fanslau, the six community dialogues held so far have revealed that residents consistently prioritize affordable housing, responsible growth, and a safer city.
The planning process will continue with developing growth scenarios and collecting additional community feedback. In 2026, the focus will shift to future land use, growth strategies, and zoning, with implementation expected to begin in 2027.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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