Decades ago, developers installed sub-standard asphalt on residential streets in Omaha, with the understanding that residents, not the city, would maintain them.
The Associated Press tells the story of a controversy roiling the city of Omaha, where the city recently unpaved roads, leaving only dirt roads, on miles of its residential streets. About 10,000 houses now line the dirt roads, and residents aren't happy.
The article traces the roots of the controversy (an agreement between the city and developers many decades ago) and the public outrage over the current condition of the city's streets.
Meanwhile, the city and neighborhood groups still have yet to find the funding to cover the estimated $300 million bill to fix all the substandard streets in Omaha.
The whole story serves as another example, with a twist, naturally, on a trend gaining strength around the country, where towns and cities are un-paving roads as an austerity measure.
The Latest Trend in Transportation Infrastructure: Un-Paving Roads
A recent study discovered that towns and cities around the country had removed the pavement on thousands of roads in the last five years.
Omaha Homeless Services Providers Struggle to Keep Up
With the worst of winter weather ahead, shelter providers say there are not enough beds to meet the rising rate of homelessness in the city.
Omaha Streetcar Yielding $1.5 Billion in TIF Funds
The line, scheduled for completion in 2027, is bringing billions in new investment to the city’s urban core.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service