A New Town-in-Town for Omaha, Nebraska

Authors

Gary R. Bowen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

5-1974

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Thesis (M. Arch.)—University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1974. School of Architecture.

Comments

Copyright 1974, the author. Used by permission.

Abstract

This report involves the analysis and preparation of a plan for a new town.A new town planning effort represents an endeavor of considerable magnitude.As the reader will discover in Section I, Europe (especially Great Britain) has set the pace since World War II in the development and construction of new towns.America has experienced a more modest effort.European towns are what one could call a “pure” new town, that is, they are totally self-sufficient, totally self-reliant, and totally separated from cities.Most American towns are either bedroom or commuter communities or “new-towns-in-town” (NTIT).

A NTIT is a completely new community within the confines of an existing urban area.It is not a subdivision; it is not urban renewal (although it could be); it can be accomplished by private development corporations with private capital or with Title VII, HUD federal funding.

This thesis project is a New-Town-in-Town.The thesis objectives are:

1. Investigate alternatives to the present local housing and land planning methodology.

2. Establish a Master Plan for a new community with densities higher than the local standards. (Omaha densities are too low; land is inefficiently used; expansion is westward, consequently leaving much of the inner city vacated and depressed.)

3. Investigate solutions for urban living that provide an environment with maximum amenities and advantages at a minimum social and environmental sacrifice.

4. Investigate sympathetic resolutions for achieving medium density housing on irregular terrain such as that found on the chosen site, (i.e., find ways to use the site as is, and not grade off the hills, fill in the valleys and cut down trees).

5. Develop methods to make urban communities as self-sufficient and nondependent as possible on the “mother city” for energy sources and services.

6. Develop a plan that is based on a reasonable economic analysis and is not totally unreasonable to build in parts or totally.

Advisor:John Benson