The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to “plan forward”, not only in time, but in concept, to envision a community that is Livable, Equitable, Thriving, Resilient, and Innovative.
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CITY OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA LANCASTER COUNTY
Adopted November 12, 2021
The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan embodies Lincoln and Lancaster County’s shared vision for the future, out to the year 2050. The theme of the Comprehensive Plan is “Plan Forward,” because it will envision a future that not only looks forward in time, but also forward in concept with new and innovative ideas to support our growing community. The development of the Comprehensive Plan included extensive public input with contributions from all facets of the community – from local leaders and topic area experts, to regular citizens who have shared interest in building a strong vision for Lincoln and Lancaster County.
The Planning Department wishes to thank the following:
Land Acknowledgement ............................................................................................1.2 Growth Framework .....................................................................................................1.5 Fundamentals of Growth in Lancaster County .....................................................1.5 The Rural Environment.........................................................................................1.6 The Community in 2050........................................................................................1.6 Figure Gf.a: Population Density.........................................................................1.8 Benefits of Well-Planned Growth .......................................................................1.9 Land Use Plan .......................................................................................................1.10 Figure GF.b: 2050 Future Land Use Plan.........................................................1.11 Figure GF.b: 2050 Future Land Use Plan .........................................................1.12 Future Growth Tier Map.......................................................................................1.14 Tier I ......................................................................................................................1.15 Figure GF.c: 2050 Priority Growth Area...........................................................1.15 Tier II .....................................................................................................................1.17 Tier III ....................................................................................................................1.18 Concurrency .........................................................................................................1.18 Annexation ...........................................................................................................1.19 Community Background ..........................................................................................1.21 History....................................................................................................................1.21 The Region ............................................................................................................1.21 The People.............................................................................................................1.21 Public Engagement Process ...................................................................................1.23 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................1.23 Public Engagement Process Summary ...............................................................1.23 Community Committee .......................................................................................1.24 Equity Subcommittee...........................................................................................1.24 Staff Committee ...................................................................................................1.24
PlanForward 2050 was developed by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Department. Should you require a reasonable accommodation in order to fully participate or information in an alternative format, please contact us at 402-441-7491.
For more information, contact:
Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Dept. 555 S. 10th Street, Suite 213 Lincoln, NE 68508
G1: Safe, Affordable, and Accessible Housing......................................................................2.4 Figure G1.a: Cost Burdened Households in Lincoln ..................................................2.4 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.5 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.5 G2: Complete Neighborhoods......................................................................................................2.6 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.6 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.7 G3: High-Quality Workforce.........................................................................................................2.8 Figure G3.a: Poverty Status for Age 25 and Over, Lancaster County ........................2.8 Figure G3.b: Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months, Lancaster County ................2.9 Figure G3.c: Race and Educational Attainment, Lancaster County ..........................2.9 Figure G3.d: Labor Force Participation, Lancaster County........................................2.10 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.11 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.11 G4: Economic Opportunity ...........................................................................................................2.12 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.12 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.13 G5: Equity and Inclusion..............................................................................................................2.14 Figure G5.a: Lincoln "Redline" Map, 1933 .................................................................2.16 Table G5.a: Median Family Income, Lancaster County...............................................2.17 Figure G5.b: Median Household Income, Lancaster County......................................2.17 Table G5.b: Poverty Status in Past 12 Months, Lancaster County ............................2.18 Table G5.c: Housing Tenure, Lancaster County .........................................................2.18 Figure G5.c: Life Expectancy .......................................................................................2.20 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.21 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.21 G6: Healthy, Active, and Connected People..............................................................................2.22 Figure G6.a: Parks and Recreational Facilities............................................................2.23 Vulnerability and service area data source: Parks and Recreation Department ....................................................................................................................2.23 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.24 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.24 G7: Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability...................................................................2.25 Figure G7.a: LES Portfolio CO2 Rate...........................................................................2.25 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.26 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.27 G8: Community Resiliency ...........................................................................................................2.28 Figure G8.a: Lincoln's Future Climate Change............................................................2.28 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.29 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.29 G9: Civic Participation ..................................................................................................................2.30 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.31 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.31 G10: Effective Government...........................................................................................................2.32 Policies Related to this Goal........................................................................................2.32 Community Indicators Related to this Goal ..............................................................2.33
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G11: Rural Environment ........................................................................................2.34 Policies Related to this Goal ...........................................................................2.34 Community Indicators Related to this Goal....................................................2.35
G12: History and Culture .....................................................................................2.36 Figure G12.a: ..................................................................................................2.36 Actual and Projected Population for Major Racial/Ethnic Groups, Lancaster County .............................................................................................................2.36 Policies Related to this Goal ...........................................................................2.37 Community Indicators Related to this Goal....................................................2.37
G13: Community Appearance..............................................................................2.38 Policies Related to this Goal ...........................................................................2.38 Community Indicators Related to this Goal....................................................2.38
G14: Technology...................................................................................................2.39 Table G14.a: Internet Access, Lancaster County .............................................2.39 Policies Related to this Goal ...........................................................................2.41 Community Indicators Related to this Goal....................................................2.41
G15: Transportation..............................................................................................2.42 Policies Related to this Goal ...........................................................................2.43 Community Indicators Related to this Goal....................................................2.43
E1: Complete Neighborhoods and Housing .......................................................3.3 Figure E1.a: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Developing Areas ..............................................................................................3.6 Figure E1.a: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Developing Areas ..............................................................................................3.7 Figure E1.b: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Existing Areas......................................................................................................3.8 Existing Neighborhoods ...................................................................................3.10 Developing Neighborhoods .............................................................................3.10 Affordable Housing..........................................................................................3.11 Table E1.a: Housing Type by Decade, Lincoln................................................3.12 Rural Housing ..................................................................................................3.13 Figure E1c: Rural Housing on the 2050 Future Land Use Map .......................3.14 Trends in Housing............................................................................................3.16 Policies Related to this Element:.....................................................................3.16 Goals Related to this Element ........................................................................3.17
E2: Infill and Redevelopment..............................................................................3.18 Infill and Redevelopment Approach ...............................................................3.19 Figure E2.a: Infill Districts ..............................................................................3.20 Greater Downtown ..........................................................................................3.21 Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors ..........................................3.21 Redevelopment Nodes.....................................................................................3.21 Redevelopment Corridors ................................................................................3.22 Location Criteria...............................................................................................3.22 Design Strategies for Mixed Use Nodes and Corridors.................................3.22 Figure E2.b: Design Strategies for Mixed Use Nodes and Corridors ............3.23 Example 1 ........................................................................................................3.23 Figure E2.b: Design Strategies for Mixed Use Nodes and Corridors ............3.24
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Example 2.......................................................................................................................................3.24 Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors.......................................................3.25 Figure E2.c: Gateway Mall Area Long-Term Redevelopment Concept..................................3.26 Neighborhood Edges ...................................................................................................................3.27 Figure E2.d: Locations of Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors ..........................................................................................................................................................3.27 Existing Neighborhoods .............................................................................................................3.28 Figure E2.e: Neighborhood Edge Example..............................................................................3.28 High-Quality Design.....................................................................................................................3.29 Redevelopment Incentives..........................................................................................................3.29 Policies Related to this Element.......................................................................................3.30 Goals Related to this Element .........................................................................................3.30 E3: Business, Economy and Workforce............................................................................................3.31 Economy and Workforce Development ....................................................................................3.31 Figure E3.a: Business & Commerce Sector Employment .......................................................3.32 Figure E3.b: Government Sector Employmemt........................................................................3.32 Figure E3.C: Industrial Sector Employmemt............................................................................3.33 Downtown......................................................................................................................................3.37 Lancaster County, Outside of Lincoln .....................................................................................3.37 Commercial and Industrial Development ...............................................................................3.38 Commercial Centers ....................................................................................................................3.38 Figure E3.d: Commercial Center Design Strategies...............................................................3.40 Figure E3.d: Commercial Center Design Strategies...............................................................3.41 Figure E3.e: Regional Centers...................................................................................................3.44 Commercial Infill ...........................................................................................................................3.45 Figure E3.f: Commercial Infill Design Strategies....................................................................3.46 Industrial Centers .........................................................................................................................3.47 Potential Large Employer Opportunity Areas .........................................................................3.48 Policies Related to this Element ......................................................................................3.48 Goals Related to this Element .........................................................................................3.49 E4: Environmental Resources............................................................................................................3.50 Figure E4a: Water Cycle.............................................................................................................3.50 Local Food.....................................................................................................................................3.53 Environmental Resources Categories .....................................................................................3.53 Native Prairie.........................................................................................................................3.54 Freshwater Wetlands ..........................................................................................................3.55 Saline Wetlands ...................................................................................................................3.55 Threatened and Endangered Species ..............................................................................3.56 Basins and Streams .............................................................................................................3.56 Floodplains ...........................................................................................................................3.57 Agricultural Lands................................................................................................................3.57 Views and Vistas ..................................................................................................................3.58 Parks, Trail Corridors, and Other Recreational Areas ...................................................3.58 Urban Forest .........................................................................................................................3.58 Woodlands ............................................................................................................................3.58 Figure E4b: Environmental Resource.......................................................................................3.59 Policies Related to this Element ......................................................................................3.60 Goals Related to this Element .........................................................................................3.60
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Table E5.a: Sites Managed by the Parks and Recreation Department ............................3.61 Figure E5.a: Existing and Future Park Sites ...................................................................3.62
Figure E5.b: Community Park Diagram...........................................................................3.64
Figure E5.c: Neighborhood Park Diagram ......................................................................3.65 Figure E5.d: Joint School and Park Site ("Sparks") Diagram .........................................3.66
.........................................................................................................................................3.69
Figure E5.e: Greenway Linkages ....................................................................................3.72 Figure E5.f: Salt Valley Greenway...................................................................................3.73
Figure E6.a: Capitol View Corridors ...............................................................................3.78
Figure E6.b: Entryway Corridors......................................................................................3.80
Figure E6.c: Historic & Capitol Environs District ...........................................................3.82
Figure E7.a: Existing Community Facilities ....................................................................3.87
Figure E7.b: Existing Fire Districts .................................................................................3.89
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Rural School Districts ...........................................................................................................3.92 Private and Parochial Schools .............................................................................................3.92 Figure E7.c: Joint School and Park Site..............................................................................3.92 Community Colleges, Trade Schools, and Universities ......................................................3.93 Other Public Buildings and Facilities ...................................................................................3.93 Policies Related to this Element .........................................................................................3.94 Goals Related to this Element .............................................................................................3.94 E8: Energy and Utilities...........................................................................................................3.95 Energy ......................................................................................................................................3.95 Statutory Requirements.....................................................................................................3.97 Energy Use.........................................................................................................................3.97 Figure E8.a: Nebraska's Energy Use by Type ..................................................................3.98 Figure E8.b: Nebraska's Energy Use by Sector................................................................3.98 Water Services ........................................................................................................................3.99 Lincoln Water System and County Water Resources .......................................................3.99 Figure E8.c: Lincoln's Energy Use by Sector ....................................................................3.99 Figure E8.d: Existing and Future City of Lincoln Water Pressure Zones .........................3.101 Groundwater Management Plan........................................................................................3.102 Wastewater Services ..............................................................................................................3.102 Collection System ..............................................................................................................3.102 Figure E8.e: Existing and Future City of Lincoln Wastewater Improvements ....3.103 Water Resource Recovery Facilities..................................................................................3.104 Watershed Management..........................................................................................................3.105 Floodplain and Stormwater Management .........................................................................3.105 Comprehensive Watershed Management .........................................................................3.105 Floodplain Management ....................................................................................................3.106 Solid Waste (Sustainable Materials Management)................................................................3.107 Collection ...........................................................................................................................3.107 Disposal ..............................................................................................................................3.107 Environmental Services .....................................................................................................3.107 Landfill Gas Collection and Control ..................................................................................3.108 Strategies for Solid Waste Management ...........................................................................3.108 Electric Service ........................................................................................................................3.109 Figure E8.f: Solid Waste Circular Economy......................................................................3.109 Figure E8.g: LES Service Area and LES/Norris Joint Planning Area..............................3.111 Wind Energy .......................................................................................................................3.112 Natural Gas Service3.112 Policies Related to this Element .........................................................................................3.113 Goals Related to this Element .............................................................................................3.113 E9: Transportation ...................................................................................................................3.114 Existing Conditions and Issues...........................................................................................3.116 Community Growth and Travel Patterns ...........................................................................3.117 Active Transportation and Multi-Use Trails .......................................................................3.117 Existing Transit System......................................................................................................3.118 Existing Freight System......................................................................................................3.119 Existing Rail System ...........................................................................................................3.120 Existing Airports and Airfields ...........................................................................................3.120
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Community Input on Transportation ............................................................................3.121 Major Public Outreach Efforts .....................................................................................3.121 Planning for the Transportation Needs of 2050 ..........................................................3.122 The 2050 Needs Based Plan ........................................................................................3.122 Major Streets and Right-of-Way Considerations. .......................................................3.122 Figure E9.a: Major Streets and Right-of-Way Map......................................................3.124 Fiscally Constrained Transportation Plan ...................................................................3.125 Revenue Forecasts........................................................................................................3.125 Fiscally Constrained Transportation Plan....................................................................3.126 NDOT Highways Program.............................................................................................3.126 Figure E9.b: LRTP Resource Allocation ($1M)............................................................3.126 Lancaster County Rural Roads Program .....................................................................3.127 Figure E9.c-1: Fiscally Constrained Rural Road and Bridge Capital Projects ...3.128 Figure E9.c-2: Fiscally Constrained Urban Roadway Capital Projects .................3.129 City of Lincoln Urban Roads Program .........................................................................3.130 Transit............................................................................................................................3.132 Active Transportation....................................................................................................3.134 Figure E9.d: Priority Trail Projects ...............................................................................3.136 Policies Related to this Element..................................................................................3.138 Goals Related to this Element .....................................................................................3.139
P1: Housing Affordability .............................................................................................4.4 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.5 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.5 P2: Existing Neighborhoods.........................................................................................4.6 Action Steps ...........................................................................................................4.6 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.7 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.7 P3: Developing Neighborhoods ...................................................................................4.8 Action Steps ...........................................................................................................4.8 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.9 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.9 P4: Rural Housing ........................................................................................................4.10 Action Steps ...........................................................................................................4.10 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.11 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.11 P5: Downtown ..............................................................................................................4.12 Action Steps ...........................................................................................................4.12 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.13 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.13 P6: Nodes and Corridors .............................................................................................4.14 Action Steps ...........................................................................................................4.14 Goals Supported by this Policy .............................................................................4.15 Elements Related to this Policy ............................................................................4.15
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P7: Redevelopment Incentives....................................................................................4.16 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.16 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.17 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.17 P8: Infill and Redevelopment....................................................................................4.18 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.18 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.19 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.19 P9: Skilled, Diverse, and Trained Workforce...........................................................4.20 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.20 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.21 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.21 P10: Supporting Small Businesses ...........................................................................4.22 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.22 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.22 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.23 P11: Parking Requirements ......................................................................................4.24 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.24 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.24 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.24 P12: Economic Growth .............................................................................................4.25 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.25 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.25 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.25 P13: Commercial and Industrial Centers..................................................................4.26 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.26 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.26 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.26 P14: Commercial Infill .............................................................................................4.27 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.27 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.27 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.27 P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development......................................................4.28 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.28 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.28 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.28 P16: Rural Economy.................................................................................................4.29 Action Steps ..............................................................................................................4.29 Goals Supported by this Policy ...............................................................................4.30 Elements Related to this Policy ..............................................................................4.30
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P17: Predictability...............................................................................................................4.31 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.31 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.31 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.31 P18: Conservation Design..................................................................................................4.32 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.32 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.33 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.33 P19: Native Prairie..............................................................................................................4.34 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.34 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.35 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.35 P20: Ecology and Habitat..................................................................................................4.36 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.36 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.37 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.37 P21: Floodplains and Riparian Areas................................................................................4.38 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.38 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.39 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.39 P22: Local Food ..................................................................................................................4.40 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.40 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.41 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.41 P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation4.42 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.42 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.44 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.44 P24: Environmental Resource Protection ........................................................................4.45 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.45 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.46 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.46 P25: Open Space with Development.................................................................................4.47 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.47 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.48 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.48 P26: Community Forestry Management ..........................................................................4.49 Action Steps .......................................................................................................................4.49 Goals Supported by this Policy ............................................................................4.50 Elements Related to this Policy...........................................................................4.50
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P27: Regional Parks and Tournament Facilities ......................................................................... 4.51 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.51 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.51 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.51 P28: Community Parks ................................................................................................................ 4.52 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.52 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.53 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.53 P29: Neighborhood Parks ........................................................................................................... 4.54 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.54 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.55 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.55 P30: Recreation Centers / Community Learning Centers ............................................................ 4.56 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.56 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.57 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.57 P31: Aquatic Facilities ................................................................................................................ 4.58 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.58 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.58 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.58 P32: Other Recreational Facilities and Activities ......................................................................... 4.59 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.59 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.60 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.60 P33: Parks and Recreation Partnerships..................................................................................... 4.61 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.61 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.62 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.62 P34: Urban Design Standards .................................................................................................... 4.63 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.63 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.64 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.64 P35: Entry Corridors.................................................................................................................... 4.65 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.65 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.65 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.65 P36: Public Art............................................................................................................................ 4.66 Action Steps ......................................................................................................................... 4.66 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................... 4.66 Elements Related to this Policy ................................................................................... 4.66
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P37: Historic Preservation .......................................................................................4.67 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.67 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.68 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.68 P38: State Capitol ...................................................................................................4.69 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.69 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.70 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.70 P39: Community Space ...........................................................................................4.71 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.71 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.72 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.72 P40: Libraries .........................................................................................................4.73 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.73 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.74 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.74 P41: Fire and Rescue..............................................................................................4.75 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.75 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.75 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.75 P42: Law Enforcement ............................................................................................4.76 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.76 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.76 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.76 P43: Health Care Access ........................................................................................4.77 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.77 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.77 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.77 P44: Education .......................................................................................................4.78 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.78 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.78 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.78 P45: Early Childhood Care and Education ............................................................4.79 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.79 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.80 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.80 P46: Public Buildings ..............................................................................................4.81 Action Steps .........................................................................................................4.81 Goals Supported by this Policy .......................................................................4.82 Elements Related to this Policy ......................................................................4.82
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P47: Civic Participation ........................................................................................................4.83 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.83 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.83 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.83 P48: Renewable Energy .......................................................................................................4.84 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.84 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.85 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.85 P49: Conservation of Energy ...............................................................................................4.86 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.86 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.87 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.88 P50: Water Quantity and Quality ........................................................................................4.89 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.89 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.89 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.89 P51: Groundwater ................................................................................................................4.90 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.90 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.90 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.90 P52: Wastewater System......................................................................................................4.91 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.91 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.91 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.91 P53: Gravity Flow Collection System...................................................................................4.92 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.92 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.92 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.92 P54: Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities..................................................................4.93 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.93 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.93 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.93 P55: Watershed Planning ....................................................................................................4.94 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.94 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.94 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.94 P56: Waste Management System .......................................................................................4.95 Action Steps ........................................................................................................................4.95 Goals Supported by this Policy .....................................................................................4.95 Elements Related to this Policy .....................................................................................4.95
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P57: Energy from Waste and Emission Reductions: .....................................................................4.96 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.96 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.96 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.96 P58: Waste Reduction and Diversion...........................................................................................4.97 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.97 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.97 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.98 P59: Electric Utility .........................................................................................................................4.99 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.99 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.99 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.99 P60: Technology..............................................................................................................................4.100 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.100 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.101 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.101 P61: Industrial Zoning and Pipelines ............................................................................................4.102 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.102 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.102 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.102 P62: Transportation Equity .............................................................................................................4.103 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.103 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.104 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.104 P63: Transportation and the Environment ..................................................................................4.105 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.105 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.106 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.106 P64: Complete Streets.....................................................................................................................4.107 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.108 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.108 P65: Transportation and Managing Growth ...............................................................................4.109 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.109 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.110 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.110 P66: Congestion Management.......................................................................................................4.111 Action Steps ..................................................................................................................................4.111 Goals Supported by this Policy ...........................................................................................4.111 Elements Related to this Policy ...........................................................................................4.111
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P67: Transportation and Economic Health......................................................................4.112 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.112 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.112 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.112 P68: Pedestrians ...............................................................................................................4.113 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.113 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.114 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.114 P69: Bicycles....................................................................................................................4.115 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.115 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.116 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.116 P70: Transit.......................................................................................................................4.117 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.117 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.118 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.118 P71: Public ROW and Access .........................................................................................4.119 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.119 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.119 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.119 P72: Freight ......................................................................................................................4.120 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.120 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.120 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.120 P73: Shared Mobility........................................................................................................4.121 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.121 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.122 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.122 P74: Advanced Mobility...................................................................................................4.123 Action Steps ................................................................................................................4.123 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.124 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.124 P75: Transportation Partnerships ...................................................................................4.125 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.125 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.125 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.125 P76: Transportation Safety ..............................................................................................4.126 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.126 Goals Supported by this Policy ................................................................................4.127 Elements Related to this Policy................................................................................4.127
Table of Contents
P77: Transportation Maintenance ..................................................................................4.128 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.128 Goals Supported by this Policy..................................................................................4.128 Elements Related to this Policy..................................................................................4.128 P78: Transportation Funding...........................................................................................4.129 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.129 Goals Supported by this Policy..................................................................................4.130 Elements Related to this Policy..................................................................................4.130 P79: Airport .....................................................................................................................4.131 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.131 Goals Supported by this Policy..................................................................................4.131 Elements Related to this Policy..................................................................................4.131 P80: Annexation...............................................................................................................4.132 Action Steps................................................................................................................4.132 Goals Supported by this Policy..................................................................................4.132 Elements Related to this Policy..................................................................................4.132
Land Use Administration ................................................................................................5.3 Five Year Tasks ...........................................................................................................5.3 Table 1.a: Five Year Implementation Tasks....................................................................5.4 Financial Resources.........................................................................................................5.6 Strategies for Financing Rural Infrastructure ............................................................5.6 Strategies for Financing Urban Infrastructure ............................................................5.6 Capital Improvements Programming...............................................................................5.7 Public Sector Contributions .......................................................................................5.7 Private Sector Contributions ......................................................................................5.8 Strategies for the Capital Improvement Program .......................................................5.8 On-Going Comprehensive Plan Activities......................................................................5.9 Plan Amendments ..........................................................................................................5.11 Plan Update Process ......................................................................................................5.11
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The Lincoln–Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to “plan forward”, not only in time, but in concept, to envision a community that is Livable, Equitable, Thriving, Resilient, and Innovative.
CITY OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA LANCASTER NEBRASKA COUNTY
Introduction
The City of Lincoln Land Acknowledgement Statement reads as follows:
We want to acknowledge that our community rests on the traditional lands of the Ponca, Omaha, Winnebago, Dakota and Otoe Peoples past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This calls us to commit to work in partnership with our Indigenous Peoples, continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we now inhabit as well.
PlanForward is the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County. PlanForward embodies Lincoln and Lancaster County's shared vision for the future, out to the year 2050. PlanForward acknowledges the importance and interconnectedness of economic, environmental, and socio-cultural domains, and the ways in which technology and public policy are applied and affect outcomes in these domains. PlanForward therefore is a combination of practicality and vision and provides guidelines for sustaining the rich mosaic that now characterizes our growing community. The core promise embedded in PlanForward is to maintain and enhance the health, safety, and welfare of our community during times of change, to promote our ideals and values as changes occur, and to meet the needs of today without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
For a “good quality of life,” a community has more than jobs, shelter, utilities, and roads — there are numerous services, education, historic, natural, and cultural resources that are fundamental to enriching lives in our One Community.
Introduction
The update process of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan began by looking back in order to plan forward. One of the strengths in LPlan 2040 is the continuity of commitments made to “maintain and enhance the health, safety and welfare of our community during times of change, while promoting ideals and values.” Our nation and communities are facing new challenges that not only impact how we respond today but how we plan for our future generations.
Now more than ever our interconnectedness and action-oriented lenses of equity are vital for us individually and as One Community. As we adopt and implement PlanForward we intentionally want to pause to reflect and celebrate some of the unique mosaics of our One Community, Lincoln and Lancaster County:
...one public school district in Lincoln, One Community. ...the Largest Yazidi community in North America. ...welcoming visitors from across the country for the Josh fight. ...being recognized for having the most welcoming fan base in college football.
PlanForward sustains the rich mosaic noted in LPlan 2040 characterizing our growing community needs and is a candid partnership of practicality and vision. Planning for sustainable change requires patience, commitment, effective collaboration, and timing, in addition to recognizing and accepting when matters are not within our capacity.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to “plan forward,” not only in time, but in concept, to envision a community that is:
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Introduction
Resilient a capacity to adapt to new challenges, ensure the security of physical cultural resources and sustainably meet the needs of current and future generations.
Innovative continuous improvement and innovation through the use of data, technology, smart city strategies, and problem solving.
Livable a safe and healthy environment that provides a high quality of life for all residents.
Thriving engage businesses, educational institutions, economic development efforts, labor representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure that the community prospers by remaining a place of economic opportunity, maintaining a positive a positive business environment, and addressing workforce needs.
Equitable provide meaningful access to all opportunities and establishes a culture of belonging, regardless of a person's identity (i.e. economic status, race, ethnic background, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or mental, physical or linguistic ability).
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Growth Framework 1.5
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Community Background 1.21
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Public Engagement Process 1.23
Introduction
The Growth Framework is a key element to turning the community vision into reality. The core elements of the Growth Framework are the Land Use Plan and Future Growth Tiers Map. The location, form, and timing of growth in Lincoln and Lancaster County is tied to the implementation of goals and policies across all topics discussed in PlanForward.
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Lincoln and Lancaster County are One Community while containing a rich mosaic of households, living in a variety of urban and rural settings. We share a common bond and work cooperatively to promote future growth that offers new opportunities for living and working while conserving our local environmental and cultural resources for future generations.
In addition, Lincoln remains a unified community. The policies of a single public school district, drainage basin development, and provision of city utilities only within the city limits continue to be a positive influence and help shape the City for decades to come. These principles are sustained in order to preserve our ability to move forward as one community.
The following guiding principles for the development of the urban and rural environment are further expanded upon within the various sections of the plan.
The Urban Environment
Multi-directional contiguous growth. Lincoln’s future urban growth should generally occur in multiple directions around the existing city. Lincoln will continue to have managed and contiguous growth, including strengthening our Downtown core. Lincoln’s sense of community has been based on incremental, compact growth built on the foundations of established neighborhoods. Future growth will continue this traditional pattern and be linked to both the level of demand in the market and to the orderly extension of public improvements and services.
Gravity flow wastewater. The City of Lincoln’s wastewater collection system, in general, will continue to be a gravity flow system that is designed to use gravity as the main energy source to convey wastewater from the community to the water resource recovery facilities. This means that drainage basin boundaries are a primary guiding factor when determining availability of urban wastewater services and other infrastructure. This provides for contiguous growth, efficient long range planning, and cost-effective construction and management of the system.
Urban infrastructure availability. The City of Lincoln will provide water and wastewater service only to properties located within the corporate limits of the city.
Maximized infrastructure investments. The City of Lincoln’s present infrastructure investment should be maximized by planning for well-designed and appropriately-placed residential and commercial development in existing areas of the city with available capacity. This can be accomplished by redeveloping underutilized
Introduction
commercial centers into areas that include a mix of uses, and encouraging higher-density residential redevelopment in appropriate locations, including missing middle housing. New infrastructure investments to serve growth areas can be maximized by encouraging a higher density of both residential and commercial uses in these areas.
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Commercial and industrial development. New commercial and industrial development should be located in Lincoln and other incorporated communities. Lincoln has ample land area and infrastructure availability for commercial and industrial development. The situation is similar in most incorporated communities in the county. Rural areas of the county do not have access to urban infrastructure, and commercial or industrial development can add significant traffic and maintenance responsibilities to county roads.
Historic preservation. Preservation and renewal of historic buildings, districts, and landscapes is encouraged. Development and redevelopment should respect historical patterns, precedents, and boundaries in towns, cities and existing neighborhoods.
Natural resource preservation. Natural and environmentally sensitive areas should be preserved within and between neighborhoods. Conservation areas and open lands should be used to define and connect different neighborhoods. The natural topography and features of the land should be preserved by new development to maintain the natural drainageways and minimize land disturbance.
One public school district. Lincoln Public Schools is the only public school district within the City of Lincoln, and the Lincoln Public School boundary will continue to expand as the city limits of Lincoln expand.
Focus on agriculture. Rural areas should be preserved for agriculture, a limited supply of low density residential, and other compatible land uses. Acknowledge the fundamental "right to farm" in agriculture districts.
Future urban growth. Preserve areas for the future growth of incorporated towns in the county, including areas outside of the current one-mile zoning jurisdiction of certain towns. Areas within Lincoln’s growth tiers should be preserved as agriculture to allow for future urbanization.
Natural resource preservation. Ensure that acreage and rural development preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas, and maximize the preservation of our nonrenewable resources.
The following assumptions provide the framework for growth in the 2050 plan. More information on population and demographic trends can be found in the 2050 Demographic Projections report.
Introduction
Introduction
Figure Gf.a: Population Density
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What do these assumptions mean for the community over the next 30 years? Many families with children will likely desire suburban development similar to what is seen today, and the growth framework provides ample opportunity for traditional suburban development. However, there are indications that other segments of the population may have different housing needs. The large increase in households with a head of household over the age of 65 may create a demand for smaller dwellings with smaller yards, multi-family units such as apartments, condos and townhouses, or assisted living facilities. The younger segment of the population, particularly college-aged or recent college graduates, often express a desire for a more urban setting that includes access to transit, proximity to amenities such as shopping and dining, and smaller dwellings that don't require a great deal of time spent on maintenance.
1.8 PlanForward 2050
Introduction
The trend toward smaller average household sizes will also have an impact. Since the 1940s household size in Lancaster County has been steadily falling, from over 3 persons per household in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s to 2.36 persons in 2020, down to a projected 2.30 persons in 2050. The decrease in household size will mainly be due to more single person households, as the senior population increases and the younger population waits longer to start families. It may also indicate an inclination toward smaller houses and more multi-family housing.
A third trend which may have an impact, although probably smaller than the others already mentioned, is the increasingly diverse racial and ethnic mix experienced in the community. It is unclear what effect an increasing racial and ethnic diversity will have on the housing patterns of the community, but there may be new markets for housing products not currently common in Lincoln. Immigrants from all over the world may bring a desire for community form that more closely resembles their former homeland, including multi-generational household arrangements.
The Complete Neighborhoods and Housing and Infill and Redevelopment elements discuss the development of different housing types across the community over the next 30 years.
When planning for Lincoln’s growth an emphasis on appropriately-paced and well-designed infill benefits the entire community by providing:
A focus on maintaining existing infrastructure. A higher proportion of infill development allows the city to focus more funds on enhancing and maintaining current infrastructure and services.
Predictable and efficient provision of new infrastructure. The City’s policy of contiguous growth anchored by a gravity-flow wastewater system provides a cost-effective, predictable, and efficient way to construct and maintain urban infrastructure and services necessary to serve new growth areas.
Shorter automobile trips. In general, with more infill there would be less distance between housing and jobs/ services. This would benefit all residents by reducing system-wide lane miles traveled: fewer drivers would need to make an “across town” commute, and people taking short trips would be more likely to use other modes of transportation, which would decrease added strain on the street network.
Increased viability for alternate modes of travel. A higher proportion of infill supports multiple modes of transportation. Transit becomes more effective at higher densities, and increased infill development would create increased demand for more riders along existing routes. In addition, trail and on-street bicycle facility investments become more practical with more users. This is good not only for users of non-auto travel, but also for motorists as vehicular traffic growth and related congestion can be slowed.
Reduced carbon emissions. Shorter automobile trips and more users of alternative transit will help to reduce the community’s carbon footprint over the next 30 years.
Balanced growth throughout the community, across both existing areas and new growth areas. Continued investment within the city ensures that our existing neighborhoods and commercial areas remain vibrant and desirable locations. More “rooftops” near existing commercial areas help to support continued commercial investment.
Preservation of surrounding rural areas. Increased infill in Lincoln will help preserve the rural character of Lancaster County, including the preservation of productive farmland and sensitive natural environments.
Introduction
There is one land use plan for both the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County. The land use plan displays the generalized location of each land use. It is not intended to be used to determine the exact boundaries of each designation. The area of transition from one land use to another is often gradual. The Comprehensive Plan also encourages the integration of compatible land uses, rather than a strict segregation of different land uses.
Individual proposals for land use changes should be evaluated using best available information. Issues such as the presence of floodplains, effect on neighboring land uses, and preservation and protection of natural resources are among the considerations that should be reviewed in making specific land use decisions.
More information about how the Land Use Plan was determined is in the Growth Scenario Report.
Introduction
Figure GF.b: 2050 Future Land Use Plan
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| Public & Semi-Public | Environmental Resources | Agricultural | Residential - Urban Density | Commercial | Light Industrial |
| Lakes & Streams | Green Space | Residential - Low Density | Ag Stream Corridor | Industrial | Future Service Limit |
Introduction
Figure GF.b: 2050 County Future Land Use Plan
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| Public & Semi-Public | Green Space | Residential - Urban Density | Industrial |
| Lakes & Streams | Agricultural | Ag Stream Corridor | Light Industrial |
| Environmental Resources | Residential - Low Density | Commercial | Future Service Limit |
Introduction
The land use plan for Lincoln and Lancaster County contains several general categories of land use types that are listed below:
Industrial. Areas where railroads, manufacturing, trucking and transportation facilities are the dominant land use, with some commercial activities.
Light Industrial. Areas for light manufacturing and assembly, warehousing, business trade, research and development, and associated office and retail uses. Proximity to major transportation routes is important. Uses in this category would produce little or no noise, odor, vibration, glare, or other objectionable influences and would have little or no adverse effect on surrounding properties.
Commercial. Areas of retail, office, service and residential mixed uses. Commercial uses may vary widely in their intensity of use and impact. Individual areas designated as commercial in the land use plan may not be appropriate for every commercial zoning district.
Urban Residential. Residential uses in areas with varying densities ranging from more than fifteen dwelling units per acre to less than one dwelling per acre. All types of housing are appropriate here, from detached single family, duplex and missing middle, to higher density multi-family. Undeveloped areas shown as Urban Residential may also include neighborhood-scale commercial and other compatible uses that will be added to the map after approval of development plans.
Low Density Residential. Residential areas, often referred to as acreages, having densities ranging from 1 to 5 acres per dwelling unit, with a typical density of 3 acres per dwelling unit. Existing Low Density Residential areas within the Future Service Limit with urban utilities available may also be appropriate for future Urban Residential development.
Agricultural. Land principally in use for agricultural production and compatible industries like solar and wind energy production. Agricultural land may be in transition to more diversified agribusiness ventures such as growing and marketing of products (e.g., horticulture, silvaculture, aquaculture) on site. Some land in the Agricultural category may be enrolled in voluntary preservation programs such as the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Public and Semi-Public. Areas of public or semi-public land use and/or structures that serve the general public. Only the largest facilities are shown on the land use plan. Highways and interstates are also included in this category.
Green Space. Public or privately-owned areas predominantly used for recreation, such as parks, golf courses, soccer or ball fields, and trails. Many green space areas also serve functions such as buffers between incompatible uses and as stormwater management areas. In some cases, privately-owned Green Space such as golf courses may also be appropriate for future Urban Residential development.
Lakes and Streams. This category includes the larger stream corridors, lakes, and ponds.
Agricultural Stream Corridor. Land intended to remain in open space, predominately in agricultural use, but that may also include parks, recreation fields, or parking areas when near future commercial, industrial, or public uses. These areas are mostly in the 100 year floodplain, outside of the existing Lincoln urban development.
Environmental Resources. Land and water masses which are of particular importance for maintenance and preservation, such as saline wetlands, native prairie, and some floodway and riparian corridors.
Future Service Limit. The land use plan also displays the future service limit for the City of Lincoln. Land inside this line represents the anticipated area to be provided with urban services within the planning period.
Introduction
The land use plan also displays the generalized land use plans for other incorporated places within the county. These include:
Individual plans are posted on the Planning Department website.
Where land use designations in these plans are not identical to those used in the Lincoln/Lancaster County land use plan, adjustments were made to reflect the intended land use.. At all times, individual towns should be consulted as the source for decisions within their zoning jurisdictions.
The Planning Department will continue its policy of coordinating with other Lancaster County towns by sharing information, notifying them of activity near their jurisdictions, and continually updating the land uses identified in their individual comprehensive plans on the Lancaster County Future Land Use map.
In order to facilitate a sustainable growth pattern, the Priority Growth Tiers Areas map shows the phased growth anticipated over the next 50 years and beyond. The growth areas are broken up into four general regions: Redevelopment and infill in the existing city, and the Tier I, II, & III growth areas. Tier I includes three Priority Areas for phasing development as discussed below. Priority A, which is mostly within the existing city limits, is shown as red hatching over the yellow area, Priority B is shown in dark red, and Priority C in pink. Tier II is shown in dark green and Tier III in light green.
Introduction
Figure GF.c: 2050 Priority Growth Area
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Tier I Tier I reflects the “Future Service Limit,” approximately 50 square miles of developing areas and beyond the existing city limits where urban services and inclusion in the city limits are anticipated within the 30-year planning period. This area should remain in its current use in order to permit future urbanization by the City.
Lincoln regularly maintains at least a 10-year development cushion for potential growth areas and will continue to do so in PlanForward. This means that the Tier 1 area, meant to accommodate Lincoln’s growth through 2050, has enough land area to satisfy demand through 2060. This “extra” land is included in order to provide flexibility for development options within the 2050 Future Service Limit.
Introduction
The top priority for infrastructure improvements is the existing city and areas that are currently under development. In order to provide for the orderly future growth of the city, additional land is identified in Tier I as the next area for improvement. However, the community does not have the financial resources, nor is it necessary, to provide urban services to the entire Tier I area within the next few years. So within Tier I, the community needs to prioritize areas for infrastructure improvements.
Priority A of Tier I — 18.1 square miles
Priority A is comprised of undeveloped land within the City limits, as well as areas that are not yet annexed but which have approved preliminary plans such as preliminary plats, use permits, community unit plans, or planned unit developments, or areas outside city limits that will have immediate infrastructure access upon annexation.
There are still significant infrastructure needs within the existing city and areas currently under development. The top priority areas are those which are within the city limits at the beginning of the planning period. In some cases, annexation agreements commit the City to the construction of certain improvements (arterial roads, water and wastewater lines) by a predetermined date, or commit the City to the repayment of their cost which may have initially been assumed by the developer. Priority A serves as the “future urban area” for purposes of annexation per state statute, and these areas are appropriate for immediate annexation upon final plat approval. In general, commitments to serve the Priority A areas should be met before the annexation of new areas within Priority B.
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Priority B of Tier I — 16.8 square miles
Areas designated for development in the first half of the planning period (to 2036) are generally contiguous to existing development and should be provided with basic infrastructure as they develop. Some of the infrastructure required for development may already be in place. Some infrastructure improvements may be made in the near term while others, such as road improvements that are generally more costly, may take longer to complete. In certain cases, areas in Priority B have special agreements that include some level of commitment to build future infrastructure. These areas move into Priority A upon approval of development plans.
Priority C of Tier I — 18.8 square miles
The next areas for development, after 2036, are those which currently lack almost all infrastructure required to support urban development. In areas with this designation, the community will maintain present uses until urban development can commence. Infrastructure improvements to serve this area will not initially be included in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), but will be actively planned for in the longer term capital improvement planning of the various city and county departments.
Guidelines for Amending Priority Areas:
Introduction
and services in the long term. Initially, roads may not be built to the full capacity; for example, rural asphalt roads may continue to be used for some period, or a two lane urban street may be built and later expanded to four lanes with turn lanes when conditions warrant. Public safety services and schools may be provided to an area by facilities that are more distant and new facilities phased in over time.
Generally, adequate infrastructure improvements should be completed in all Priority A areas where there is development interest prior to beginning infrastructure in Priority B and C areas.
It is anticipated that there may be unique circumstances that may warrant consideration of development of land in Priority B prior to the full completion of improvements in Priority A. In addition it is expected that there will be proposals to change land from Priority C to B. Proposals for changes from Priority C to B should be evaluated and considered through a review process that should consider the following items:
The project is contiguous to the City and proposed for immediate annexation (for Priority A), and is consistent with principles of the Comprehensive Plan.
The developer provides information demonstrating how the necessary infrastructure improvements to serve the area would be provided and financed. The City should contact other public agencies to obtain their report on the infrastructure necessary to serve the area, including utilities, roads, fire service, public safety, parks, trails, schools and library needs.
The impacts that development in the area will have on capital and operating budgets, level of service, service delivery and Capital Improvement Programs are addressed, including impact of financing, utility rates and other revenue sources and to what degree the developer is willing to finance improvements. In order to maintain a fiscally constrained plan, acceleration of one project may mean other planned projects must be removed from the list of future facilities.
There is demonstrated substantial public benefit and circumstances that warrant approval of the proposal in advance of the anticipated schedule.
Growth into most of the Priority C areas is comparatively inefficient in terms of required capital investment as compared to the Priority B areas.
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Tier II is an area of approximately 19 square miles that defines the geographic area the city is assumed to grow into immediately beyond Tier I. It shows areas where long term utility planning is occurring today and acts as a secondary reserve should Tier I develop faster than anticipated. Tier II should remain in its current use in order to allow for future urban development.
Introduction
Infrastructure planning, especially for utilities such as water, wastewater and watershed facilities, can reach beyond the Plan’s 30-year time horizon to 50 years and further. Water, wastewater and watershed master plans identify infrastructure, environmental issues and future project needs in undeveloped sub-basins. As new areas are proposed for transfer from Tier II to Tier I, these plans should be used to assist in guiding development.
The Plan’s premise is that within the next ten years, if the anticipated growth expectations are realized, additional areas from Tier II will be added to Tier I. Such change would include amending the Future Service Limit accordingly to reflect the new 30-year planning time frame. Conversely, if growth is slower or more dense than anticipated, the addition of new areas may not be necessary.
The balance between the efficient use of existing urban infrastructure and the provision of a sufficient supply of land to maintain an affordable lot supply is a delicate one, and one that should be carefully considered in this process. It is important that relevant data be maintained and critical analysis be conducted in any decision to increase the supply of Tier I land.
Tier III provides an approximately 128.4 square mile area for Lincoln’s longer term growth potential — beyond 50 years. This area is based upon the drainage basins located within the 3-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction, excluding the area identified as Salt Creek Tiger Beetle habitat. Little active planning of utilities or service delivery is likely to occur in the near term in Tier III. However, it should also remain in its present use in order to provide for future urban development.
Public infrastructure - including transportation facilities, water, sewer, parks, schools, and libraries - is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the community. In new growth areas, the most essential public infrastructure (such as electricity, water, sewer, pedestrian facilities and roads) should be made concurrently with that growth.
Some public infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines, is most efficiently built to serve the ultimate demand of the new area. Other public infrastructure, such as arterial roads, may be provided in proportion to the initial need, with later improvements added as growth proceeds. Still other services, such as schools and libraries, may be provided at more remote locations until the population to support a new facility is in place. Developing public infrastructure in this manner will protect the public health, safety and welfare of the community while efficiently using taxpayer funds.
Conversely, infrastructure should not be built or developed if it is not needed. Public resources are scarce and should be conserved and used efficiently. Development of infrastructure beyond the needs of the community is a waste of resources and is not beneficial to the community as a whole. Thus, some improvements, such as park land, must be obtained early in the process, but may not be fully improved until more development occurs. Land for other services such as fire and police stations or schools may also be obtained. This may also apply to road improvements, which in early stages can be adequately served by two-lane paved streets, after obtaining the needed future urban right-of-way, with additional lanes planned for but not developed until later when traffic demand warrants the improvements.
The key to a successful community is the concurrent development of infrastructure proportionate to the development and need of the community — a balance between the need for infrastructure and the need to conserve resources.
Introduction
The City of Lincoln requires that properties receiving municipal services be located within city limits. City annexation should occur before any property is provided with water, sanitary sewer, or other potential City services. In most cases this also means that annexation must occur prior to a property receiving an urban zoning designation.
Information regarding annexation procedures can be found in the Annexation policy.
Annexation is a necessary and vitally important part of the future growth and health of Lincoln. The City of Lincoln has been successful with urban development occurring within its city limits. The City routinely annexes land at the request of a developer or landowner as part of the regular development process. This allows properties to be supplied with City services when they are needed, and the City benefits from the property taxes, utilities, and other fees that City residents pay.
Some properties along the City’s edge may not be interested in further development and thus will not request annexation. It makes sense for the City to initiate annexation of adjacent properties that are already developed and require a minimal public investment to serve.
Reasons for City-initiated annexation include:
Annexation generally implies the opportunity to access all City services within a reasonable period of time. Voluntary annexation agreements may limit or otherwise outline the phasing, timing or installation of utility services (e.g., water, sanitary sewer), and may include specific or general plans for the private financing of improvements to the infrastructure supporting or contributing to the land uses in the annexed area. The annexation of large projects may be done in phases as development proceeds.
The character of existing residential areas should be respected as much as possible during the annexation process. When low density “acreage” areas are proposed for annexation due to the City’s annexation policy, additional steps should be taken to ease the transition as much as possible, such as public meetings, advance notice and written explanation of changes as a result of annexation. In general, many aspects of acreage life may remain unchanged, such as zoning or covenants. However, any annexation of existing residential areas will include some costs that must be the responsibility of property owners.
The City Council may by ordinance at any time include within the corporate limits of such city any contiguous or adjacent lands, lots, tracts, streets, or highways such distance and in such direction as may be deemed proper... Such city shall have power by ordinance to compel owners of land so brought within the corporate limits to lay out streets and public ways to conform to and be continuous with the streets and ways of such city, or otherwise as appears best for the convenience of the inhabitants of such city and the public.
Introduction
Annexation to facilitate the installation of improvements and/or possible assessment districts is appropriate if it is consistent with the annexation policies of the Plan listed above.
These annexation guidelines in this section are specific to the City of Lincoln. Each town in Lancaster County has its own procedures for annexation.
Introduction
Lincoln and Lancaster County have a rich background that will continue to shape the community's future.
The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County lie within the Platte River Valley in southeastern Nebraska. A little more than 50 miles west of the Missouri River, the county's natural features are characterized by uplands, stream terraces, and bottom lands. The region was historically covered by native tallgrass prairie that served as home to buffalo, antelope, grassland birds, and many other smaller species of plants and animals.
The county's 846 square miles are situated mostly within the Salt Valley Basin. Native Americans and early settlers were attracted to the area by the natural forming salt flats. One of the region's earliest European settlers was Captain W.T. Donovan of the Crescent Salt Company. He named the settlement Lancaster after his home in Pennsylvania. “Lancaster” was later used to name both the county and the county seat in 1859.
The City of Lincoln today serves as both the capital for the State of Nebraska and the seat of government for Lancaster County. The County's 322,608 residents comprise the second largest metropolitan area in the State. The Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Lancaster and Seward counties and 340,217 people. The broad southeastern Nebraska region is home to over one million people, including the greater Omaha urban area to the east.
Southeastern Nebraska is experiencing a growing sense of social, cultural, and economic interdependence. The Interstate 80 corridor offers a major link between the State's two largest urban areas and the region as a whole. Strengthening ties between the two cities and the surrounding rural communities is integral to the region's future success in providing employment, recreational, and other opportunities.
The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County are committed to further examining regional planning issues for southeastern Nebraska. Much public dialogue about the future of the region is needed if core planning issues and potential solutions are to be fully explored.
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PlanForward embraces a growing, changing community. The Plan energetically recognizes the long-term growth potential of the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, and opportunities presented by the fundamental demographic changes in the community.
Introduction
Lancaster County’s population is assumed to reach nearly 440,000 persons by the year 2050 — that’s over 117,000 more people than the County’s year 2020 population base of 322,608 persons. The adjectives “steady” and “stable” accurately describe Lancaster County’s expected future growth. Between 2020 and 2050, the projections indicate growth of nearly 40,000 persons and 18,000 households each decade. The county should reach the milestones of having 150,000 households just after 2030, and 400,000 people in 2040. To understand future changes, the projections compare population values between non-Hispanic Whites and all other population groups. The projections indicate the portion of Lancaster County’s population comprised of persons of color rises by five percentage points per decade, similar to what occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. The number of non-White and Hispanic residents more than doubles from about 65,000 in 2020 to 155,000 in 2050, when one in three Lancaster County residents will be a person of color
While those age 20 to 24 remain the largest Lancaster County population segment out to 2050, aging represents a central element of future population change. Growth occurs across all age groups, but the projections show the highest percentage gains happen as “baby boomers” born from 1946 to 1964 age into older age categories.
Introduction
Lincoln and Lancaster County have a rich background that will continue to shape the community's future.
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The Planning Department wishes the thank the following:
The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan embodies Lincoln and Lancaster County's shared vision for the future, out to the year 2050. The theme of the Comprehensive Plan is "Plan Forward," because it will envision a future that not only looks forward in time, but also forward in concept with new and innovative ideas to support our growing community.
The development of the Comprehensive Plan included extensive public input with contributions from all facets of the community – from local leaders and topic area experts, to regular citizens who have shared interest in building a strong vision for Lincoln and Lancaster County.
The development of the Comprehensive Plan was coordinated with the development of the Long Range Transportation Plan, a separate document that focuses on transportation needs and is required for the City and County to receive federal transportation funds.
The major activities and timeline are summarized below. More detailed information is available in the Public Outreach Summary.
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Introduction
Members: Planning Commission members along with community stakeholders of various backgrounds – neighborhoods, business, sustainability/resiliency, design, etc.
The Community Committee had a primary role in helping to develop and review content for the Comprehensive Plan and Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The Committee worked with staff to study, analyze, and discuss major elements of both plans. Eighteen Community Committee meetings were held on a typically monthly schedule, stretching from January 2020 to August 2021. Most meetings were held over zoom and also made available to the public on Facebook Live.
Members: Included organizations that provide services to marginalized community members. Representatives included staff or members of organizations from Community Action, OutNebraska, New Americans Taskforce, Afrikan Community Network, Nebraska Appleseed, Civic Nebraska, Lincoln Public Schools, League of Human Dignity, Black Leaders Movement, and the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The meetings were facilitated by Inclusive Communities, a non-profit focused on education and advocacy related to the topics of diversity and inclusion.
More information about the Equity Subcommittee can be found in the Equity Subcommittee Summary Appendix.
Members: City and County staff and agency representatives from LES, Black Hills, LPS, and Norris.
The Staff Committee is the primary method for City and County staff to be involved with the process. Their activities included development and review of plan content and public outreach activities. Plan content specific to various City and County departments was developed through one-on-one meetings with committee members. Eight Staff Committee meetings were held from January 2020 to August 2021 along with numerous one-on-one meetings with committee members.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to “plan forward”, not only in time, but in concept, to envision a community that is Livable, Equitable, Thriving, Resilient, and Innovative.
CITY OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA
LANCASTER NEBRASKA COUNTY
Goals
The PlanForward goals offer a broad horizon for the community’s future to the year 2050. The goal statements, supporting text, and data form the basis for the desired future condition in Lincoln and Lancaster County to be Livable, Equitable, Thriving, Resilient, and Innovative. The goals also provide guidance for individual land use decisions, public and private investments, and other actions that collectively will determine the future for the people that live in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Every policy in PlanForward includes action steps that will support one or more of these goals. Most importantly, we will plan forward as One Community.
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G1: Safe, Affordable and Accessible Housng
2.4
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G2: Complete Neighborhoods
2.6
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G3: High-Quality Workforce
2.8
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G4: Economic Opportunity
2.12
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G5: Equity and Inclusion
2.14
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G6: Healthy, Active and Connected People
2.22
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G7: Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
2.25
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G8: Community Resiliency
2.28
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G9: Civic Participation
2.30
Goals
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G10: Effective Government 2.32
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G13: Community Appearance 2.38
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G11: Rural Environmental 2.34
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G14: Technology 2.39
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G12: History and Culture 2.36
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G15: Transportation 2.42
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County will support the development of safe, affordable, and accessible quality housing that meets the diverse needs of the community.
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One of the essential elements of the community and PlanForward is housing. Ensuring safe, adequate, and affordable housing is an important function in maintaining the vitality of neighborhoods and the city as a whole. Our community supports making homes available to families that are both affordable and safe. Emerging scientific evidence links health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, and unintentional injuries to substandard housing. Resources to provide enhanced access to safe, affordable, and accessible housing should be distributed equitably across the community in order to help promote good physical and mental health and foster economic stability.
The federal Office of Housing and Urban Development defines cost burdened households as those paying more than 30% of income towards housing, and in Lincoln, those households making less than $25,000 per year are at most risk of being cost burdened. Although Lincoln's housing market is affordable for most households, housing costs continue to increase and should be addressed proactively. PlanForward understands the ongoing need for affordable housing and supports development of 5,000 affordable units by the year 2030.
Figure G1.a: Cost Burdened Households in Lincoln
% of Households Paying 30% or More for Housing Costs
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American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Goals
The City of Lincoln adopted the Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan in December 2020. This plan seeks to support the development of a housing market in Lincoln that is reflective of the diverse community of residents that makes up the city. The action items identified in the Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan attempt to address quality of life issues and improve the overall economic health in Lincoln and more importantly, protecting and advancing the health, safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life of every resident. This means creating housing options for all income levels and ages throughout the city. While the main focus of this plan is on how to address housing needs for the city's residents earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), no one market stands in isolation. Markets are interdependent on each other, whether that is different income levels or product types. A healthy housing market allows individuals to move through the market at different stages of life. When the market does not supply the product type a household needs, there can be a break in the system that can affect many different households.
PlanForward outlines a plan for adequate growth areas and lot supply, but other market forces can impact the overall cost of housing. Those outside influences should be acknowledged and monitored. Over the past decade, the city's housing construction has focused on market rate multi-family and single-family detached units. Only 13% of the city's 12,000 units constructed since 2014 were townhomes or duplexes, and the vast majority of the multi-family were large scale projects. Additional variety, also known as “missing middle,” is needed to serve a broader demand within the City.
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P61: Industrial Zoning and Pipelines
Housing Indicators
Goals
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A complete neighborhood is one where residents are able to get the goods and services to meet daily needs within 15 minutes of their residence including a variety of housing options, grocery stores and other commercial services, quality public schools, public open spaces and recreational facilities, affordable active transportation options, and civic amenities. In other words, Complete Neighborhoods “Put the stuff closer together so it’s easier to get to the stuff.”- Paul Mogush, Minneapolis Planner.
Housing variety, both in housing type and lot size, provides for interesting neighborhoods and accommodates changing household preferences, but, more importantly, provides affordable housing options. Housing variety should include townhomes, senior living facilities, low/no maintenance condominiums, accessory dwelling units, multi-family development, and even small lot single-family.
Complete Neighborhoods are an important part of urban life for many reasons including: support for healthier lifestyles and convenience, stronger markets for neighborhood commercial centers and businesses, efficient and equitable public investment, and energy efficiency and emissions reduction.
Downtown Lincoln is a good example of a complete neighborhood in Lincoln as it serves as an attractive place to live and serves as the central location for commerce, government, entertainment, and the arts. The growth and development policies embodied throughout PlanForward will meet development needs for a growing population, will align with the 2050 growth scenario, and will support more complete neighborhoods both on the edge and within the existing city.
A Complete Neighborhoods indicator will be created to evaluate the “completeness” of Lincoln neighborhoods. Factors to be evaluated will include presence of sidewalks and housing options, and proximity to trails, transit stops, parks, essential goods and service, and schools. This indicator can inform decision-making in order to guide investments as the community grows over the next 30 years.
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P8: Infill and Redevelopment
P10: Supporting Small Businesses
P13: Commercial and Industrial Centers
P14: Commercial Infill
Goals
P29: Neighborhood Parks P34: Urban Design Standards P45: Early Childhood Care and Education P60: Technology P61: Industrial Zoning and Pipelines P69: Bicycles P70: Transit P73: Shared Mobility
Community Indicators Related to this Goal
Housing Indicators Recreation Indicators
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County will strive to remove barriers to economic stability and mobility in the community by supporting a skilled and educated workforce that is able to adapt to economic, technological, and cultural changes.
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The benefits of a high-quality workforce are twofold: 1) it is important that residents from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to acquire the education and skills necessary to obtain quality jobs, and 2) it is important for business owners and entrepreneurs to have access to a high-quality workforce so that they can sustain and grow their businesses. A high-quality workforce benefits the entire community because it attracts quality employers and entrepreneurs, which helps to grow our population and tax base and facilitates quality of life investments across a variety of sectors, and it ensures that Lincoln and Lancaster County are well-positioned to compete in tomorrow’s economy.
There is a strong connection between educational attainment and poverty status. In Lancaster County, an individual who did not graduate from high school is five times as likely to be in poverty than someone with a 4-year or higher college degree. Likewise, median earnings increase with higher levels of educational attainment.
Figure G3.a: Poverty Status for Age 25 and Over, Lancaster County
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American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Goals
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American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Some groups disproportionately experience barriers to educational attainment, which is reflected in lower median incomes. These barriers to access start in youth and continue throughout a lifetime: a child not having a parent or adult present, or not having access to preschool education; an adult facing time and financial barriers to higher education and job training, often due to family obligations. At a national level these barriers are more prevalent in certain racial and ethnic groups, and this is illustrated locally by the race-based disparity in educational attainment, labor force participation, and median income in Lancaster County.
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■ High school graduate or higher ■ Bachelor's degree or higher ■ Some college or associates
American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Goals
Another challenge to maintaining a high-quality workforce is ensuring that individuals who are displaced from work for a long period of time (for childbirth and the raising of children, recession or pandemic-related job loss, injury or disability, etc.) are able to re-enter the workforce. When people experience short-term unemployment, they go through real economic stress and temporary hardship, but most recover. Much more devastating is involuntary long-term unemployment. People may lose their house, spouse, confidence, and self-worth. Economist Gene Sperling describes this as a loss of “economic dignity” and many people never recover.
Figure G3.d: Labor Force Participation, Lancaster County
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Note: In Lancaster County the overall labor force participation rate is 71.6 percent. This number includes individuals 16 and over who are actively working or seeking work. The local rate is similar to Nebraska’s rate of 69.7 percent, and compares favorably to the national rate of 63.4 percent. American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Labor force participation is also a challenge with individuals experiencing a disability. According to the American Community Survey approximately 11 percent of Lancaster County residents have a disability. Disabled individuals make up a much larger percentage of working age population not in the labor force (22 percent), meaning they are not actively seeking work. For those seeking work the unemployment rate for disabled individuals (7.4 percent) was more than twice as high as those without a disability (3 percent) in 2019.
Working on a local level to support and encourage workforce participation and secure employment can help to ensure that everyone wanting to participate in the workforce can do so.
There are additional barriers that could make it more difficult for the local workforce to secure high-quality jobs over the next 30 years. Some of today’s jobs will become obsolete as new technologies and automation change the workforce needs, especially with entry-level positions. The skills required by employers will continue to change, and job training and education will continue to be an urgent priority so that individuals or even segments of entire generations are not left out.
To achieve the goal of a high-quality workforce, Lincoln and Lancaster County will focus on policies that ensure equitable access to education and training, emphasize partnerships between education providers, workforce development agencies, and local employers, and will work to address other economic barriers to achieving economic stability and mobility.
Goals
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P9: Skilled, Diverse, and Trained Workforce
P10: Supporting Small Businesses
P40: Libraries
P43: Health Care Access
P44: Education
P45: Early Childhood Care and Education
P60: Technology
P62: Transportation Equity
P70: Transit
P73: Shared Mobility
Economy Indicators
Goals
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A key element to a livable community - one that can attract and retain individuals to maintain population growth and economic prosperity - is the presence of high-quality jobs. Key attributes of a high-quality job include a living wage that can support a household's daily needs, benefits such as paid sick days and health insurance, and job security.
One factor in developing high-quality jobs is having a talented workforce. Where skilled labor chooses to live is increasingly a key decision factor for business growth and relocation. Although teleworking will be more prevalent in the coming years, it is expected that most employees will still live in the same community as their employer.
Equitable skills and training initiatives, discussed in the High-Quality Workforce goal, will ensure that Lincoln and Lancaster County have a strong supply of talented workers. Quality-of-life attributes, such as diverse and accessible housing, good shopping, restaurants and entertainment, quality schools and healthcare, a sense of safety, and amenities such as parks and trails are important to ensuring that skilled individuals want to remain or relocate to our community.
In addition to cultivating a talented workforce, it is important to have an economic environment that supports business creation, innovation, and expansion. Elements that contribute to a successful economic environment include:
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P9: Skilled, Diverse, and Trained Workforce
P10: Supporting Small Businesses
P11: Parking Requirements
P12: Economic Growth
Goals
P13: Commercial and Industrial Centers
P14: Commercial Infill
P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development
P16: Rural Economy
P17: Predictability
P67: Transportation and Economic Growth
P72: Freight
Economy Indicators
Goals
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Lincoln and Lancaster County will establish equity - regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, country of origin, religion, age, economic status, or zip code - as a core principle in the planning, decision-making, and policy development processes.
Acknowledging disparities that exist in our community is vital in order to properly discuss equity as a core principle of PlanForward. We also acknowledge in this plan that there are ongoing work efforts which are moving us in the right direction toward eliminating disparities. Under this goal and others in PlanForward, we identified local trends that relate to measurable aspects that focus on race and ethnicity disparities within housing, income, poverty, juvenile justice, educational attainment, labor force participation, and health. In 2020, the total percent of minorities living in Lancaster County was 20.5%. It is anticipated by 2050, the total percent of minorities living in Lancaster County will be approximately 35.3% based on historic trends and growth projections.
In the 1930s, cities across the nation created redline maps to shore up and secure home loans for mostly white people. These redline maps were utilized so that realtors and mortgage lenders assisted in the practice of isolating minorities, specifically Black populations, in areas that would suffer lower levels of investment than their white counterparts. This practice created a racial disparity of homeownership and limited generational wealth among minority populations in two main ways. First, redlining was predatory exclusion where homes or loans could not be acquired within certain areas. Second, “reverse redlining” created predatory inclusion where non-white areas are targeted for higher prices and taxes, subprime loans, etc.
Redlining transformed explicit racism into structural racism that is still affecting our community today. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act was signed into law that established the protected classes of race, color, national origin, and religion, while sex was added in 1974 and familial status and disability was added in 1988. After the passage of the Fair Housing Act, there was no power among the federal authorities to enforce it. Much like the other laws, enforcement depended on local civil rights organizations to run the investigations, find evidence, find plaintiffs, etc. Even when evidence of discrimination was found, there was not any actual enforcement until 20 years later in 1988.
Lincoln was not immune to housing discrimination. A local look shows:
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For most of these restrictions, the developers used federal funds from the Federal Housing Administration and Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), that through deeds, prohibited anyone other than the white race. These covenants were generally in effect until 1975.
As mentioned before, in the 1930s, the government-sponsored HOLC introduced the private-sector to redlining when it produced color-coded maps of urban areas; black neighborhoods were marked in red, which indicated that they were the riskiest areas to insure mortgages. White residents received virtually all loans from the Federal Housing Administration between 1934 and 1962. Federal Housing Administration insurance would not back loans in the “Declining” or “Hazardous” areas. These areas were mostly, or solely populated by the black population. Thus, potential homeowners could not get FHA backed loans to purchase or improve homes. The homes in these areas would thus fall into disrepair or would become totally dilapidated. The presence of just one black person could deem the area declining or hazardous.
When we review the redline map of the 1930s and recent minority population and poverty trends, we see almost 100 years later, it’s the same map. The redlining effects of black and other people of color is still visible today. Knowing and understanding this exclusionary practice and its lingering effects is important to include in the Comprehensive Plan, so the community can have a conversation about issues that continue to plague our fellow community members and how we can work to promote equity in the community.
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Figure G5.a: Lincoln "Redline" Map, 1933
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2.16 PlanForward 2050
Goals
According to ACS data for Lancaster County, the median income for households is $60,527. As we look at income disparities in the community, we note that White (not Hispanic or Latino) households account for 86.3% of the distribution and earn a median income of $63,907 while non-White households median income ranges between 15.4% to 47.2% less than White (not Hispanic or Latino) households.
Figure G5.b: Median Household Income, Lancaster County
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American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Income disparities are also seen between gender of householder and familial status.
Table G5.a: Median Family Income, Lancaster County
| Household Income | Estimate | Median Income |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $73,722 | $81,121 |
| - With own children of householder under 18 years | $33,369 | $79,760 |
| - With no children of householder under 18 years | $40,353 | $82,353 |
| Married-couple families | $57,423 | $94,822 |
| - With own children under 18 years | $24,184 | $100,097 |
| Female householder, no spouse present | $10,972 | $36,970 |
| - With own children under 18 years | $6,819 | $27,992 |
| Male householder, no spouse present | $5,327 | $52,435 |
| - With own children under 18 years | $2,366 | $47,022 |
American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
The disparity in incomes can be seen in the poverty status, which shows that 37,502 individuals are currently below the 2019 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia. While a majority number of individuals below the poverty line identify as White, the percentages show that minority communities in Lancaster County are disproportionately affected by poverty.
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| Below poverty level | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population | Percentage | |
| White | 28,148 | 10.9% |
| Black | 2,940 | 26.2% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 396 | 20.9% |
| Asian | 2,090 | 16.8% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 162 | 70.7% |
| Some other race | 1,376 | 35.1% |
| Two or more races | 2,390 | 22.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,066 | 24.2% |
| All | 37,502 | 10.2% |
American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Homeownership has provided housing stability and wealth development for residents in Lancaster County for generations. Approximately 63.7% of White households own their home, while less than 23% of Black families own their own homes and 38.1% of Hispanic or Latino families own their homes. While homeownership is something that should be attainable for individuals and families that desire to be homeowners, the availability of safe, affordable, and accessible housing is necessary for those who need or want to rent.
| Owner Occupied | Renter Occupied | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Percentage | Population | Percentage | |
| White | 68,347 | 63.7% | 38,993 | 36.6% |
| Black | 926 | 22.6% | 3,174 | 77.4% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 230 | 32.7% | 473 | 67.3% |
| Asian | 1,832 | 44.0% | 2,334 | 56.0% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 54 | 100.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 414 | 36.6% | 717 | 63.4% |
| Two or more races | 685 | 35.2% | 1,263 | 64.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,385 | 38.1% | 3,871 | 61.9% |
| All | 74,344 | 59.8% | 49,980 | 40.2% |
American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
In 2017, Lancaster County signed on as a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) site. The JDAI Collaborative prepares a Lancaster County Comprehensive Juvenile Justice Services Plan which reviews data that traces individual youths’ involvement with the juvenile justice system from initial contact through disposition and human service intervention. The disproportionality of non-white youth and families living in poverty, reduced educational attainment and medical care, and overall youth in the justice system, permeate our community as it does in so many others. The justice collaborative is focused on reducing disparities in the system, has developed
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a nationally recognized diversion program, committed to make every decision through a racially informed lens, and infuse restorative justice principles throughout all services.
Health disparities are often looked at as differences in health status between the white population and racial/ethnic minorities; however, race and ethnicity, gender, age, disability, social and economic status, and geographic location all contribute to an individual’s ability to achieve good health. The five domains of the Social Determinants of Health provide the framework that Public Health uses to discuss and address health disparities, including: Economic Disparity, Education Access and Quality, Healthcare Access and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, and Social and Community Context. Lincoln’s low cost of living does not offset lower incomes and persons from racial and ethnic minority populations struggle to achieve equity in educational attainment, employment, and income.
Lincoln has geographic concentrations of extreme poverty and poor health. Based on a resident’s Census Tract, their projected life expectancy can differ by 20 years. In general, health outcomes in those older parts of Lincoln are not as good as elsewhere in the community. Death rates by disease vary across the community as do obesity rates in schools, behaviors such as smoking and binge drinking, uninsured rates, and a host of maternal and child health measures. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department in conjunction with the community’s hospital systems and other public health partners, conducts a comprehensive Health Status Assessment and broad engagement of health discussions across the community. The resulting planning documents are the Community Health Assessment and the Community Health Improvement Plan which drive much of the ongoing strategic focus to improve health outcomes. Additionally, the LLCHD provides mapping and narrative utilized by community partners to further discussion of health disparities and their inequitable distribution throughout Lincoln and Lancaster County. Indicators around health, activity, and connected people for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan will be guided by the LLCHD’s 2020 Community Health Assessment and the 2021 Community Health Improvement Plan.
An idea to assist people in need was discussed during development of PlanForward, known as a Navigation Hub. This would be a universal intake for multiple services to eliminate the redundancy of paperwork and eliminate barriers to accessing resources for individuals and families. This idea would need additional discussion with appropriate government agencies, non-profits, and services providers.
PlanForward’s goals and policies take into account the historic and current racial and social inequities in our community. By intentionally incorporating a lens of racial equity into all policy decisions, identifying how our decisions may unintentionally reinforce racial disparities, our community can better understand and eliminate these disparities and create a more equitable community for every resident.
Goals
Figure G5.c: Life Expectancy
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Life expectancy data source: Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
Goals
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P9: Skilled, Diverse, and Trained Workforce
P22: Local Food
P40: Libraries
P42: Law Enforcement
P43: Health Care Access
P44: Education
P45: Early Childhood Care and Education
P47: Civic Participation
P60: Technology
P61: Industrial Zoning and Pipelines
P62: Transportation Equity
P64: Complete Streets
P68: Pedestrians
P69: Bicycles
P70: Transit
P73: Shared Mobility
Economy Indicators
Housing Indicators
Transportation Indicators
Recreation Indicators
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County will be a healthy community that continuously creates and improves both its physical and social environments where every person is free to make choices amid a variety of healthy, available, accessible, and affordable options.
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The interaction between people and their environments, natural as well as human-made, has re-emerged as a major public health issue. A community that encourages healthy, active, and connected people is one that continuously creates and improves both its physical and social environments. Examining the interaction between health and the environment requires considering the effects of factors in the broad physical and social environments, which include housing, access to community facilities and resources, land use, transportation, industry, workforce development, and agriculture.
Making the healthy choice the easy choice is one way to help people achieve optimal health. This can be accomplished in many ways such as: working with schools and businesses on wellness initiatives; improving local access to healthy foods and creating community gardens; creating a community plan to account for health impacts of new community projects; continuing to implement the Complete Streets program to encourage active transportation; and creating community gardens.
One of the public health functions of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is to continuously assess the health status of the community. Data on vital statistics, behaviors, communicable disease and other indicators of health status is compiled in the Community Health Assessment and includes the participation of partners such as Bryan Health Systems and CHI St. Elizabeth, Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and others. The assessment includes detailed information about the health of our community, including geographic health disparities. The Lincoln Community Health Endowment’s Place Matters project has utilized such maps to answer the question, “How does where we live, learn, work, and play affect our health?” The maps, which can be accessed through the Community Health Endowment website, show that health disparities are not geographically distributed equitably throughout the community.
The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is developed based on and in conjunction with the Community Health Assessment. The CHIP includes goals, objectives, and strategies organized within four priority areas: access to care, chronic disease prevention, behavioral health, and injury prevention. The CHIP is a guiding document to address community health needs.
Inequities in access to recreation and open spaces contribute to health disparities. The map below identifies the most vulnerable populations (percentage below poverty level; racial and ethnic minority population; life expectancy; and the percentage that passed the Youth Fitness Test) and evaluate access by a 10 minute walk to parks and schools that provide recreational opportunities. Lincoln’s Community Centers and Amenities (public, non-profit, or for profit services) show opportunities for physical and emotional well-being and are mostly concentrated in the areas with the highest need. The map identifies residential units outside of the 10 minute walk in areas with vulnerable populations that should be addressed. There are also underserved/non-served residents in newer growth areas. It is important to note that while the costs for land and development of park facilities have grown since impact fees were first instituted,
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these fees have not increased to match inflation, creating a backlog of Neighborhood Park development. Funding for other park facilities has also been unable to keep up with inflation rates, creating a backlog of maintenance. This map does not reflect private rec facilities within apartment complexes or other private residential uses.
Figure G6.a: Parks and Recreational Facilities
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Vulnerability and service area data source: Parks and Recreation Department
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While over 98 percent of Lincoln residents are within one mile of accessing a trail, there are still inequities in the trail network. For example, there are instances where there are no connections into the trail system as a whole, leaving it inaccessible for residents who have concerns about on-street biking for commuting or for those who would like to ride recreationally through the community. Connecting these gaps should be prioritized over the planning horizon to create a more equitable trail network.
Sidepaths are separated paths along roadways that serve people bicycling and walking within the street right-of-way. Examples may include the 84th Street Trail and the Old Cheney Trail. Development of sidepaths should be placed further from the street to provide a comfortable buffer of grass and street trees between vehicular traffic and bicycle and pedestrians. Sidepaths may present increased conflicts with motor vehicles at driveways and intersections. Increased safety measures should be evaluated for these facility types to protect vulnerable road users.
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P18: Conservation Design
P22: Local Food
P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation
P25: Open Space with Development
P26: Community Forestry Management
P27: Regional Parks and Tournament Facilities
P28: Community Parks
P29: Neighborhood Parks
P30: Recreation Centers / Community Learning Centers
P31: Aquatic Facilities
P32: Other Recreational Facilities and Activities
P33: Parks and Recreation Partnerships
P39: Community Space
P43: Health Care Access
P64: Complete Streets
P68: Pedestrians
P69: Bicycles
Growth Indicators
Economy Indicators
Housing Indicators
Transportation Indicators
Recreation Indicators
Goals
PlanForward commits Lincoln and Lancaster County to a sustainable growth framework that will conserve and efficiently utilize our economic, social, and environmental resources so that the welfare of future generations is not compromised.
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Energy use, supply, and conservation are topics of global as well as local concern. PlanForward includes an assessment of energy use, evaluates the utilization of renewable energy sources, and describes efforts to conserve energy in the community. The relationship between land use patterns and energy consumption has been widely researched and is an ongoing topic of national and global conversations. The transportation sector is the nation’s leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and total emissions have steadily grown within our region as daily vehicle miles traveled and congestion levels have increased. Decisions within the region will address threats to transportation infrastructure and human health anticipated to result from climate change. As Lincoln and Lancaster County continue to plan for the future, the need to consider the impacts of energy supply and demand will continue to increase in importance.
Figure G7.a: LES Portfolio CO2 Rate
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Lincoln Electric System
The City of Lincoln has adopted the Climate Action Plan, and with it the goal of reducing net emissions 80% by 2050. This “80x50” (eighty by fifty) goal, as it is known by many cities around the world that have adopted a similar target, is intended to be an all-encompassing, visionary goal that will invite all sectors of Lincoln to play a part in transitioning to a low-carbon future, including electricity generation, transportation, heating, and manufacturing.
Goals
Electricity generation and use are currently some of the most impactful drivers of greenhouse gas emissions nationally. In 2018, the electricity sector accounted for 27% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the transportation sector. The energy sector will be a crucial component of Lincoln’s climate progress. By working together across sectors and with a combination of policy, market-driven and voluntary efforts, the residents of Lincoln can achieve their ambitious goal of reducing net emissions 80% by 2050.
The Lincoln Electric System Administrative Board established a new decarbonization goal of net-zero carbon dioxide production from its generation portfolio by 2040. LES has already reduced carbon dioxide emissions from its generation portfolio by 53% from 2010 – 2020. The Board recognizes the critical role that electricity generation has in achieving a citywide goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, while also maintaining high levels of electric system reliability and affordable retail electric rates to every customer in the area. Moving forward, LES will continue evaluating technological and financial opportunities that transition power generation to net zero carbon dioxide production by 2040.
The transportation sector is the nation’s leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and total emissions have steadily grown within our region as daily vehicle miles traveled and congestion levels have increased. Transportation is recognized in the Climate Action Plan with a compelling list of strategies meant to reverse the trend and help achieve the goal of 80 percent net GHG reduction by 2050. A portion of single occupancy vehicle trips must be replaced by alternative modes, and internal combustion engines must be replaced with cleaner fuel sources to achieve this goal. Action steps are necessary now to begin transitioning the region toward a more resilient and sustainable future.
A 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) investigated the projected impacts of a world that had warmed 1.5°C compared to one that had warmed 2.0°C. The IPCC found that going to 2.0°C would expose several hundred million people to climate-related risks by 2050. The study found that global emissions of greenhouse gases would need to drop by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 to stay on a 1.5°C path. As the World Resources Institute puts it, “behavior and technologies will need to shift across the board in order to achieve these emissions reductions. For example, by 2050, renewables are projected to supply 70-85% of electricity in 1.5°C pathways.” Climate change will have a range of negative effects on the vulnerable natural resources on which we depend for clean air, water, and soil. Although a global commitment, such as the Paris Climate Accord, is needed to avoid these drastic impacts, Lincoln can employ sustainability practices by continuing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
P18: Conservation Design
P19: Native Prairie
P20: Ecology and Habitat
P21: Floodplains and Riparian Areas
P22: Local Food
P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P25: Open Space with Development
P26: Community Forestry Management
Goals
P48: Renewable Energy
P49: Conservation of Energy
P50: Water Quantity and Quality
P51: Groundwater
P54: Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities
P55: Watershed Planning
P58: Waste Reduction
P59: Electric Utility
P63: Transportation and the Environment
P64: Complete Streets
P68: Pedestrians
P69: Bicycles
P70: Transit
P73: Shared Mobility
Growth Indicators
Environment Indicators
Recreation Indicators
Goals
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The changes in Lincoln and Lancaster County’s climate will result in several impacts to life in our community. We will experience warmer, drier summers, wetter springs, more extreme rain events, more frequent drought, more frequent and intense floods, potential economic instability from impacts to the state’s agricultural sector, and a range of climate-related health impacts, including heat-related illnesses, respiratory illnesses and increased insect-borne disease (see “Lincoln’s Future Climate” infographic below). Two vulnerabilities are more urgent than the rest: flooding, and Lincoln’s reliance on a single source for all its water needs.
The City of Lincoln Climate Action Plan defines resilience as the capacity of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event, trend, or disturbance, responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain systems’ essential function, identity, and structure while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation. PlanForward understands that resiliency transects the community’s socio-economic, health, and systemic vulnerabilities. Strategic climate directions and climate resilience will be integrated throughout City actions and ordinances, and many of the strategies in the Climate Action Plan are included in PlanForward. Climate resilience strategies will need to be adopted throughout municipal government in order to be truly effective and maximize their effectiveness in making progress toward our larger, community-wide goal.
Lessons from the COVID-19 crisis may teach us about a climate-altered future. Those who bear the burdens of systemic racism, income inequality and disparities in access to healthcare have been much more likely to be negatively impacted by COVID-19. In the same way, if unaddressed, these inequalities will put millions of people at risk during future climate crises. Those who are vulnerable economically, socially, or physically will be more at risk from the cascading impacts of climate change.
Figure G8.a: Lincoln's Future Climate Change
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Goals
The community will address the two most urgent climate vulnerabilities by developing a strategy to secure a second source of water supply and by implementing the recommendations of the Salt Creek Resiliency Study.1
P18: Conservation Design
P19: Native Prairie
P20: Ecology and Habitat
P21: Floodplains and Riparian Areas
P22: Local Food
P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P48: Renewable Energy
P49: Conservation of Energy
P50: Water Quantity and Quality
P54: Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities
P55: Watershed Planning
P59: Electric Utility
P63: Transportation and the Environment
Growth Indicators
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County recognize the need for an equitable civic process and community buy-in during the planning and decision-making processes.
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The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County have long encouraged the public to participate in local government activities. Keeping people knowledgeable and involved in implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and other community initiatives is crucial to ensuring their ultimate success. It is important to give all members of the community a voice and the capacity to influence decisions.
A key element to allowing everyone to have a voice in the civic participation process is removing barriers that prevent some members of the community from being fully engaged.
Common barriers include:
To achieve the goal of equitable civic participation, Lincoln and Lancaster County will work to remove these barriers so that all members of the community can be informed and involved. Examples include exploring expanded online and virtual public input methods while maintaining the option for traditional in-person engagement events located throughout the community. Equitable civic participation will require broad efforts that reach the entire community while actively seeking engagement from historically underrepresented groups.
As part of the PlanForward process, the Planning Department conducted several in-person and virtual events that collected input from hundreds of residents across the community. In addition, an Equity Subcommittee was established to discuss issues related to equity in the planning process and outcomes, and collect input from residents who are typically underrepresented in our processes. More information about the public input process can be found in the Introduction section of PlanForward.
Goals
P40: Libraries P46: Public Buildings P47: Civic Participation P60: Technology
Growth Indicators
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County will be responsive to community needs and provide efficient and reliable essential services to residents and taxpayers.
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Lincoln and Lancaster County will focus on maintaining a sustainable tax base that continues to provide quality services to residents and businesses in an efficient and equitable manner. Fiscal decisions will continue to be data-driven and implemented through a public process that allows for transparency and citizen input. The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County promote the integration of information technology throughout the community by their use of technologies in the business of local government. This use of integrating technology will continue to deliver services efficiently and enhance the interaction with government.
A variety of activities contribute to the sustainable provision of efficient and reliable essential services:
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P12: Economic Growth
P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development
P16: Rural Economy
P17: Predictability
P33: Parks and Recreation Partnerships
P34: Urban Design Standards
P35: Entry Corridors
P37: Historic Preservation
P40: Libraries
P41: Fire and Rescue
P42: Law Enforcement
P46: Public Buildings
P47: Civic Participation
P50: Water Quantity and Quality
Goals
P52: Wastewater System
P53: Gravity Flow Collection System
P54: Water Resource Recovery Facilities
P56: Landfill
P60: Technology
P75: Transportation Partnerships
P77: Transportation Maintenance
P78: Transportation Funding
Growth Indicators
Goals
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Lincoln and Lancaster County will support a strong rural economy, with a focus on agriculture and other land uses, while preserving critical natural features and quality of life for county residents.
An important relationship exists between the urban, rural, and natural landscapes. Urban and rural development must maximize the use of land in order to preserve agriculture and other compatible industries, natural resources, and the overall rural environment.
Agriculture is the dominant land use in Lancaster County, accounting for roughly ¾ of the county’s total land area. According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, Lancaster County has over 1,700 farms, with 95 percent of those being classified as “family owned”. Total market value of farm products produced in Lancaster County was $189 million. It is important to maintain agriculture as the core element of Lancaster County’s economy by supporting traditional agriculture along with emerging agricultural production methods.
The rural areas in Lancaster County are also appropriate locations for emerging energy production facilities such as wind turbines and solar farms. These industries are compatible with agricultural uses, support the community’s sustainability initiatives, and have the potential to be major contributors to the local economy. Both the City and County zoning ordinances have been recently updated to address these uses and ensure that their implementation is compatible with surrounding areas.
It is also important that critical natural features such as native prairie, wetlands, and riparian corridors are protected. Such features need to be valued and sustained as part of the overall planning process if they are to remain as vital parts of our ecosystem and natural heritage to be left for succeeding generations. The Climate Action Plan discusses these ideas in more detail. Although it is a City document, coordination with the County will be important to implementing many of the Climate Action Plan’s initiatives.
Rural Lancaster County has approximately 20,000 residents living on a mix of farms and acreages. Demand remains for additional acreage development in rural areas. The Future Land Use plan currently includes area for about 23 years of additional acreage development, assuming demand remains steady. It is expected that additional acreage areas will be added over time to meet demand across the 30-year planning period. Acreages must be located in appropriate locations in order to reserve land resources for efficient future urban development, agriculture, and the natural environment, while preserving the rural quality of life for existing and future residents.
P4: Rural Housing
P16: Rural Economy
P19: Native Prairie
P20: Ecology and Habitat
P22: Local Food
P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation
Goals
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P51: Groundwater
P55: Watershed Planning
P65: Transportation and Managing Growth
Growth Indicators
Economy Indicators
Housing Indicators
Environment Indicators
Goals
Lincoln and Lancaster County will celebrate the community’s history and diverse cultures and build upon the benefits they provide to civic health, economic vitality, and quality of life.
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Preservation and enhancement of the many quality of life assets within the community continues. For a “good quality of life,” a community has more than jobs, shelter, utilities and roads — there are numerous services, education, historic, natural, and cultural resources that are fundamental to enriching lives. As the population continues to become more diverse, the richness and variety of Lincoln and Lancaster County’s cultural assets will enrich the quality of life for all those living here.
Figure G12.a: Actual and Projected Population for Major Racial/Ethnic Groups, Lancaster County
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PlanForward embraces a growing, changing community, and the opportunities presented by the fundamental demographic changes currently expected to continue into the future. For example, Lincoln has the largest Yazidi community in North America, and Nebraska was the largest refugee resettlement per capita in 2016. Students in the Lincoln Public School system are more diverse than Lincoln as a whole. In 2020, LPS had 35.7 percent minority students, while Lincoln had 23.5 percent minority population. As these students grow up and have families of their own, Lincoln can expect an increased diversity in its racial and ethnic composition.
The community will experience further growth among existing racial and ethnic minority groups over the next 30 years. From less than 25,000 people in 2000, the number of minority residents in the County surged to almost 45,000 persons in 2010, and is estimated at 65,000 persons in 2020. It is expected that Lancaster County’s minority community will grow to 155,000 persons by 2050, and comprise roughly 1/3 of the overall population. The trend
Goals
towards a more racially and ethnically diverse community is celebrated and emphasized across multiple policy areas in PlanForward.
The community’s history and culture is discussed more in the Introduction section, and is reflected through historic buildings and sites throughout the county. These resources add to the desirable quality of life for current residents and should be protected for future generations. PlanForward encourages the continued use and maintenance of historic and cultural resources, including properties not formally designated as landmarks.
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P34: Urban Design Standards
P36: Public Art
P37: Historic Preservation
P38: State Capitol
P39: Community Space
Growth Indicators
Goals
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The urban and the rural landscapes of Lancaster County produce a distinctive place, offering a sense of identity to visitors and especially to residents. It is worthwhile to plan for, protect, and strengthen this character as the community grows and matures.
When successful, urban design makes a community more enjoyable for residents, more attractive to visitors, and more competitive in drawing new businesses and retaining existing ones. A truly sustainable community recognizes and builds on its heritage by fostering good urban design, creating a sense of place and uniqueness that supports a strong economy, values environmental assets, and promotes social engagement and interaction.
To achieve this goal, PlanForward addresses community appearance in a variety of topic areas, including:
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P5: Downtown
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P34: Urban Design Standards
P35: Entry Corridors
P36: Public Art
P37: Historic Preservation
P38: State Capitol
P39: Community Space
Growth Indicators
Goals
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Lincoln and Lancaster County will support equitable access to technological innovation in order to sustain a vibrant economy, improve City and County services, and improve civic networking.
Technology has and will continue to change the way we live, impacting our personal and professional lives. Technology is also continuously evolving which brings new opportunities and challenges – 3D printers are creating new housing opportunities, our appliances are now capable of speaking to each other, and driverless vehicle technology continues to advance. Technological trends will continue to be monitored in all aspects that impact our community. Partnerships will continue to play a significant role, and opportunities will be explored with local resources such as the University of Nebraska and private companies.
The efficient use and expanded access to public wireless resources are fundamental to Lincoln’s future economic growth, global competitiveness, and technology equity among its community members. Congestion of the wireless spectrum and scarcities in both licensed and unlicensed bands must be addressed for continued innovation and investment growth. Access to wireless technology in our public spaces for use by residents, visitors, and event businesses has become an everyday expectation and necessity.
In Lancaster County, 88% of households have internet access through an internet subscription. Households with an income less than $20,000 have internet access through an internet subscription at a rate of 70.8%. The high percentage of residents with an internet subscription speaks to the need and importance of technology for our residents to fully participate in civic functions, employment opportunities, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.
Table G14.a: Internet Access, Lancaster County
| Total Households | 124,324 | |
| With Internet Subscription | 109,421 | 88% |
| With no Internet | 14,903 | 12% |
| HH Income <$20,000 | 16,644 | |
| With Internet Subscription | 11,783 | 71% |
| With no Internet | 4,861 | 29% |
| HH Income $20,000 - $74,999 | 68,453 | |
| With Internet Subscription | 50,245 | 86% |
| With no Internet | 8,208 | 14% |
| HH Income $75,000 or more | 49,227 | |
| With Internet Subscription | 47,393 | 96% |
| With no Internet | 1,834 | 4% |
American Community Survey 2015 - 2019
Goals
In 2015, the City of Lincoln partnered with Allo Communications to complete a fiber optic network, providing faster broadband speeds, including 1-gigabit service available to every home and business in Lincoln. The project was completed in 2018. The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County promote the integration of information technology throughout the community by their use of technologies in the business of local government. Examples of such activities include:
Public Internet Terminals: These terminals provide public access to the Internet for residents and visitors to Lancaster County. High speed lines and free access terminals have been placed in libraries, community centers, recreation centers, and senior centers.
City and County Websites: The City and County websites offer expanded opportunities to access government in the areas of employment, health and human services, planning and land development, general information assistance, and access to resources. The ability to conduct various government transactions online saves travel time and resources for citizens and government employees.
Advanced Audio and Video Equipment: An array of video equipment is used to broadcast local government meetings over a local cable channel and via the Internet.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): City and County departments, in partnership with other agencies, have created an extensive system of digital geographic information that includes hundreds of layers of information on features such as natural resources, topographic features, land use, structures, floodplains, jurisdictional boundaries, and infrastructure. A broad assortment of digital imagery (i.e., photographs, permit and property information) is also included in this GIS information base.
Intelligent Transportation Systems: Information technology offers many opportunities for making better use of transportation facilities and services. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) use computers and digital technology to get the most out of the community’s investment in roads and other transportation facilities.
Decision Lens: Utilization of the Decision Lens tool has provided an opportunity for robust discussion and consideration for transportation projects through the Lincoln on the Move effort and the prioritization of the Long Range Transportation Plan projects.
Green Light Lincoln: The continued deployment of Green Light Lincoln will result in vast improvements to the overall traffic signal system, and numerous projects with high benefit/cost ratios. Key benefits of this initiative are wide reaching and include: reduce the number and severity of crashes; reduce travel times, delays, and stops; reduce vehicle emissions and pollutants; reduce fuel consumption for savings at the pump; smooth traffic flow and reduce driver frustration; and delay the need for major street widening projects.
Public Wi-Fi and Wireless Internet Access: The City will partner with private broadband carriers to install outdoor public Wi-Fi systems in public spaces. Exploration of a public Wi-Fi and wireless internet access program for the community should be evaluated for community need and potential costs associated with implementation.
Educational Internet Access: The City of Lincoln, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS), Lincoln Libraries, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and private broadband providers will partner to extend the LPS student internet access into every home and business connected to the Fiber to the Home project. The goal of the Educational Internet Access project is to ensure every student in Lincoln has access to safe and secure high-speed internet regardless of income.
Cloud-Based Public Infrastructure: Continued growth in Information Technology applications require the expansion of database storage infrastructure and cloud-based storage. The City and County will continue to migrate from on-premise to cloud-based storage and applications.
Goals
P12: Economic Growth
P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development
P47: Civic Participation
P60: Technology
P70: Transit
P73: Shared Mobility
P74: Advanced Mobility
P78: Transportation Funding
Growth Indicators
Goals
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Lincoln and Lancaster County will strive to achieve a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system that enhances the quality of life, livability, and economic vitality of the community.
A balanced transportation system that supports the community’s needs and equitable outcomes must include maintenance of the aging infrastructure, efficiencies to allow people to move from place to place without congestion, and availability of a wide variety of safe mobility options such as walking, biking, transit, and driving. The transportation system should be thoughtfully designed to contribute to economic vitality of the region by integrating transit, vehicular, freight, air, nonmotorized, and rail modes with land use decisions. The transportation sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; transportation decisions should reflect Lincoln and Lancaster County’s stewardship of the environment. Specific transportation decisions should align with the City of Lincoln's goal to build a decarbonized and efficient transportation system, as stated in the City of Lincoln Climate Action Plan. Public funding, both locally and nationally, for transportation infrastructure is extremely tight. A successful transportation network comes from public, private, and nonprofit entities working together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
The 2050 Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is one of the primary planning documents that guides the region’s transportation investments to accomplish this goal. The LRTP outlines eight transportation goals which support the goal for transportation in the Comprehensive Plan.
Maintenance: A well-maintained transportation system.
Mobility and System Reliability: An efficient, reliable, and well-connected transportation system that leverages innovation and technology for moving people and freight.
Livability and Travel Choice: A multimodal system that provides travel options to support a more compact, livable urban environment.
Transportation Equity: Transportation investments developed through an inclusive process that promote equitable outcomes.
Safety and Security: A safe and secure transportation system.
Economic Vitality: A transportation system that supports economic vitality for residents and businesses.
Goals
Environmental Sustainability: A transportation system that enhances the natural, cultural, and built environment.
Funding and Cost Effectiveness: Collaboration in funding transportation projects that maximizes user benefits.
The eight goals developed for the 2050 LRTP are primarily aligned with national goals and federal planning factors. These goals are the foundation for performance measures, performance targets, policies, and projects described in the LRTP.
P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development
P62: Transportation Equity
P63: Transportation and the Environment
P64: Complete Streets
P65: Transportation and Managing Growth
P66: Congestion Management
P67: Transportation and Economic Health
P68: Pedestrians
P69: Bicycles
P70: Transit
P71: Public ROW and Access
P72: Freight
P73: Shared Mobility
P74: Advanced Mobility
P75: Transportation Partnerships
P76: Transportation Safety
P77: Transportation Maintenance
P78: Transportation Funding
P79: Airport
Transportation Indicators
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The Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a roadmap to “plan forward”, not only in time, but in concept, to envision a community that is Livable, Equitable, Thriving, Resilient, and Innovative.
CITY OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA LANCASTER NEBRASKA COUNTY
Elements
The PlanForward elements contain additional information that support the policies and action steps. Each element also relates to PlanForward goals.
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E1: Complete Neighborhoods and Housing 3.3
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E4: Environmental Resources 3.50
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E7: Community Facilities 3.84
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E2: Infill and Redevelopment 3.18
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E5: Parks, Recreation and Open Space 3.61
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E8: Energy and Utilities 3.95
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E3: Business, Economy and Workforce 3.31
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E6: Placemaking 3.76
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E9: Transportation 3.114
Elements
This element discusses the desired pattern of development in newer and older neighborhoods and strategies for meeting future housing demand.
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One of the essential elements of the community and PlanForward 2050 is housing and neighborhoods. Ensuring safe, adequate, and affordable housing is an important function in maintaining the vitality of neighborhoods and the city as a whole. The key to both developing and existing complete neighborhoods is land use diversity. For existing neighborhoods, the land use diversity is often already in place, but efforts must focus on maintaining this balance and variety. The diversity of architecture, housing types and sizes are central to what makes existing neighborhoods great places to live. New construction in existing neighborhoods should continue the architectural variety, but in a manner that is sympathetic to the character of existing neighborhoods. For developing neighborhoods, the land uses are typically kept separate and are accessible primarily by vehicles. PlanForward recognizes the value of diversifying land uses in developing areas to achieve more integrated neighborhoods.
The community continues its commitment to strong, diverse, and complete neighborhoods. Neighborhoods remain one of Lincoln's great strengths and their conservation is fundamental to this plan. The health of Lincoln's varied neighborhoods and districts depends on implementing appropriate and individualized policies. In existing neighborhoods, preservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of existing housing should continue to be the focus. Infill and redevelopment needs to respect the street pattern, block sizes, and development standards of the area, such as parking at the rear and porches, windows, and doors on the front street side. In existing and developing neighborhoods, diversity of land uses, including commercial and a variety of housing types, is important provided the use fits within the character of the block and neighborhood. During the planning period, there will continue to be a need to accommodate group living which generally includes, but is not limited to: senior housing, assisted living facilities, group homes, domestic shelters, and children's homes.
A complete neighborhood is more than housing – great neighborhoods combine all the elements of parks, education, commercial areas, environmental resources, and housing together in one place. A complete neighborhood is one where residents have safe and convenient access to goods and services needed for daily life activities. Benefits of complete neighborhoods include:
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A statement in previous Comprehensive Plans encouraged single-family housing but left out the importance all other housing types. The statement has been updated as follows:
"Retain and encourage a mix of housing in existing and new neighborhoods in order to provide a mix of housing types at a variety of price points."
Elements
“Put the stuff closer together so it's easier to get to the stuff.”
Paul Mogush, Minneapolis Planner
Fundamental elements of a complete neighborhood include a mix of housing options, open spaces, schools and childcare, access to food, and commercial goods and services. Thus, policies and action steps from multiple other elements also apply to complete neighborhoods and housing. A Complete Neighborhoods indicator will be created to evaluate the “completeness” of Lincoln neighborhoods. Factors to be evaluated will include presence of sidewalks and housing options, and proximity to trails, transit stops, parks, essential goods and service, and schools. This indicator can inform decision-making in order to guide investments as the community grows over the next 30 years. Cities such as Detroit, San Antonio, and Boulder have established Complete Neighborhoods goals and associated metrics.
Elements
Elements
Figure E1.a: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Developing Areas
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Single-Family/Duplexes/Garages Multi-Family/Assisted Living/Rowhouses/Garages High-Density Residential Residential/Commercial Mixed Use Commercial Uses (office, retail and service) Public/Semi-Public Buildings Green Space/Natural Resources Other Open Space Public Right-of-Way (including sidewalks, street trees, parking and street paving) Parking Lots/Driveways/Private Alleys Arterial Streets
Elements
Figure E1.a: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Developing Areas
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| Single-Family/Duplexes/Garages | |
| Multi-Family/Assisted Living/Rowhouses/Garages | |
| High-Density Residential | |
| Residential/Commercial Mixed Use | |
| Commercial Uses (office, retail and service) | |
| Public/Semi-Public Buildings | |
| Green Space/Natural Resources | |
| Other Open Space | |
| Public Right-of-Way (including sidewalks, street trees, parking and street paving) | |
| Parking Lots/Driveways/Private Alleys | |
| Arterial Streets |
PlanForward 2050 3.7
Elements
Figure E1.b: Strategies for Design, Sustainability and Complete Neighborhoods in Existing Areas
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Single-Family/Duplexes/Garages Multi-Family/Assisted Living/Rowhouses/Garages High-Density Residential Residential/Commercial Mixed Use Public/Semi-Public Buildings Green Space/Natural Resources Other Open Space Public Right-of-Way (including sidewalks, street trees, parking and street paving) Parking Lots/Driveways/Private Alleys Arterial Streets
3.8 PlanForward 2050
Elements
Elements
For existing neighborhoods, housing diversity is often already in place, and efforts must focus on maintaining this balance and variety. The diversity of architecture, housing types and sizes are central to what make existing neighborhoods great places to live. New construction should continue the architectural variety, but in a manner that is sensitive to the existing neighborhoods. Preservation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of existing housing should continue to be the focus. Preserving existing housing for owners and renters and a mix of supporting uses should remain the focus in established neighborhoods, with modest opportunities for infill and redevelopment.
Infill and redevelopment is supported and must respect the street pattern, block sizes, and development standards of the area, such as parking at the rear and porches, windows, and doors on the front street side. Neighborhood Design Standards apply within Lincoln's 1950 corporate limits and will continue to be a useful tool to ensure compatibility of new construction. Areas annexed after 1950 are not currently covered by the City's Neighborhood Design Standards. The City's primary strategy for residential infill and redevelopment outside of the Greater Downtown is to encourage the redevelopment and reuse of sites and buildings in commercial areas in order to create new mixed use centers that are compatible and complementary to adjacent neighborhoods. Modest opportunities for redevelopment may also be appropriate along "neighborhood edges." Neighborhood edges include arterial streets and transition zones between lower density residential and commercial areas. 1,000+ well-designed and appropriately-placed dwelling units are projected for neighborhoods in the existing city — roughly a one percent increase to the existing housing stock—on vacant lots, expansions of existing apartment complexes with undeveloped land, within redeveloping commercial and industrial areas, and through accessory dwelling units. Residential redevelopment in existing neighborhoods tends to occur naturally without public intervention over a long period of time, as individual properties become obsolete or are acquired piecemeal by private or nonprofit developers.
Existing neighborhoods often contain a mix of uses including neighborhood commercial uses, parks, and schools. The patterns of land use in existing neighborhoods support walkability and already achieve many of the Complete Neighborhoods recommendations. Neighborhood commercial centers provide goods and services closer to where people live and can increase desirability to live in the surrounding neighborhoods. Examples in Lincoln include Havelock, University Place, College View, and others. Efforts should be taken to preserve existing neighborhood commercial centers as a vital component in existing neighborhoods. Integration of the neighborhood commercial areas within existing neighborhoods is supported and can be viewed as a model for developing neighborhoods.
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Homeownership has been a focus of past Comprehensive Plans, but statements supporting renters in our community were not included. The updated text is more inclusive of all residents in our community.
Preserving existing housing for owners and renters and a mix of supporting uses should remain the focus in established neighborhoods, with modest opportunities for infill and redevelopment.
Developing neighborhoods should have a variety of housing types and sizes, plus commercial and employment opportunities. While Lincoln has some good examples of complete developing neighborhoods, the land development patterns in developing neighborhoods are typically kept separate and are accessible primarily by vehicles.
PlanForward recognizes the value of diversifying land uses in developing areas to achieve more integrated neighborhoods. Developing a pedestrian orientation of buildings and street networks that provides substantial connectivity is also a priority for developing areas. There are notable differences between some types of housing
Elements
and traditional multiple-family residential developments. Typically, group living complexes such as assisted living facilities will have fewer occupants per unit and will generate less traffic than housing built for the general marketplace. Thus, a location that is deemed appropriate for group living may not be deemed appropriate for other types of higher density housing such as apartments or town homes.
In support of housing variety, the City should review existing zoning tools to encourage greater housing diversity and development of missing middle housing in developing neighborhoods. Examples include revisions to Community Unit Plan requirements or modifications to current residential zoning districts. Easy access to commercial areas, parks, schools, and other daily needs is also important and should be planned for early on in development neighborhoods.
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The Plan recognizes that preserving our existing housing stock is one of the best ways to provide for affordable housing in our community. The Lincoln City Council adopted the Lincoln Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan in December 2020. The Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan recognizes that the City alone cannot address the affordable housing needs. Many community partners are identified to help implement the plan recommendations. The Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan also acknowledges the gap in “missing middle” housing unit types. Whereas single-family detached and multi-family units are the predominant housing type developed in Lincoln, missing middle includes the units between such as duplex, triplex, quadplex, cottage clusters, and townhouses. Missing middle housing was more prominent in the 20th century. An important element to affordable housing and complete neighborhoods overall includes development of missing middle housing. Table E1.a below lists existing buildings by type and decade. The numbers are for the building totals and not unit totals. The Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan also acknowledges the gap in “missing middle” housing unit types. Whereas single-family detached and multi-family units are the predominant housing type developed in Lincoln, missing middle includes the units between such as duplex, triplex, quadplex, cottage clusters, and townhouses. Missing middle housing was more prominent in the 20th century. An important element to affordable housing and complete neighborhoods overall includes development of missing middle housing. Table E1.a below lists existing buildings by type and decade. The numbers are for the building totals and not unit totals.
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Table E1.a: Housing Type by Decade, Lincoln
| Decade | 3-12 Units | 12+ Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1900-1910 | 20 | 2 |
| 1911-1920 | 28 | 5 |
| 1921-1930 | 30 | 21 |
| 1931-1940 | 16 | 1 |
| 1941-1950 | 38 | 4 |
| 1951-1960 | 78 | 3 |
| 1961-1970 | 218 | 40 |
| 1971-1980 | 360 | 127 |
| 1981-1990 | 132 | 72 |
| 1991-2000 | 47 | 74 |
| 2001-2010 | 11 | 15 |
| 2011-2020 | 15 | 54 |
Modifications to existing zoning districts should be explored to allow more missing middle housing units by right. The Residential Transition (R-T) District is intended to provide a buffer between neighborhoods and more intensive commercial or industrial uses, stressing compatibility with nearby residential areas. The R-5 residential District should be reviewed for potential amendments that would encourage missing middle, as that district already allows densities between 6 and 10 units per acre. Both zoning districts may offer opportunities for missing middle housing along neighborhood edges.
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Neighborhoods with a mix of households of varying income are beneficial and promote equity and inclusiveness in contrast to the negative impacts of concentrated poverty. Mixed income neighborhoods generally provide access to more and improved services including health facilities, grocery stores, good schools, access to quality housing, neighborhood amenities such as parks and open space, and a safer environment for people of all incomes. A choice of housing types, including owner-occupied and renter-occupied affordable housing, is a key element in promoting mixed-income neighborhoods.
Through the City’s Urban Development Department, an Affordable Housing Fund provides local dollars tailored to meet specific needs identified in the Affordable Housing Coordinated Action Plan. The funding sources include a portion of the administrative fees received from Tax Increment Financing projects and Turnback Tax funds obtained from sales tax collected in relation to Pinnacle Bank Arena. State legislation allows a portion of the Turnback Tax to be designated for affordable housing. The Affordable Housing Fund allows for local control and flexibility; however, funding is limited and additional sources for the Fund should be pursued.
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A previous action step was considered burdensome on low-income housing developments. The action step was reworded as follows:
Balance expanding housing options and neighborhood character. Infill development includes housing for a variety of incomes and should complement the character of the existing neighborhood and provide appropriate transitions where needed. Site and building considerations include transitions, scale and context.
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Housing code enforcement continues to evolve with increased enforcement of the Neglected Building Registration, the continuation of proactive and performance based multifamily rental inspections, and the addition of UPLNK (SeeClickFix) reporting tool. Implementation of increased fines for violations of property maintenance codes and increased community awareness are also contributing to the improvement of housing in Lincoln. These are big steps to improving quality affordable housing, but there may be other strategies that should be explored.
PlanForward supports the preservation of land in the bulk of the County for agricultural and natural resource purposes. Balancing the demand for rural living and the practical challenge of integrating acreages with traditional land uses will continue as Lincoln and Lancaster County continue to grow. New acreage development is not encouraged in any of the Growth Tiers except for areas already platted, zoned, or designated for low density residential development. Zoning currently allows development in these tiers under the “build-through” model and without use of Sanitary Improvement Districts (SIDs). However, careful consideration should be given to these current regulations. Compared to urban development, acreage developments consume large quantities of farmland and generate traffic that exceeds the rural capacities of gravel road. Since the growth tiers establish future urbanized areas for the City of Lincoln, additional acreage developments are a detriment to future urban growth. Eventually, all acreage areas in the growth tiers will be located within the City. Therefore, land within the growth tiers is encouraged to remain in agricultural uses.
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Figure E1c: Rural Housing on the 2050 Future Land Use Map
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3.14
PlanForward 2050
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All proposals for acreages, whether designated on the future land use map for low density residential or not, should be evaluated based on factors such as paved roads, adequate water quality and quantity, soil conditions for on-site wastewater management, availability of emergency services, agricultural productivity, land parcelization, the pattern of existing acreages, and plans for future urban development. Applications for acreage designation on the future land use map or rezoning to AGR, if planned for on-site wells, should be accompanied by information on water quality and quantity. If information becomes available that land already designated in the Plan for acreages is not suitable for acreage development, that designation should be reconsidered. Areas not designated for acreages should remain agriculturally zoned and retain the current overall density of 32 dwellings per square mile (1 dwelling unit per 20 acres). Grouping acreages together in specific areas will limit the areas of potential conflict between farms and acreages. It also may enable services to be provided more efficiently, by reducing the amount of paved routes, reducing the number and distance of school bus routes, and taking advantage of more effective rural water district service.
Clustering lots in one portion of a development site, while preserving both farmland and environmental resources on the remainder, should continue to be encouraged in agriculturally-zoned areas. A considerable supply of acreage lots has been platted in recent years in this manner. The County also should continue to pursue state enabling legislation to enable clustering lots by “transfer of development rights” between non-contiguous parcels of land. It is important to note that the value of this tool, by which property owners “buy” and transfer rights to develop additional lots, will be negated if the owners simply are “given” those additional lots through rezoning. Private nonprofit land trusts are operating successfully to preserve farmland in other rural areas experiencing pressure for development. They accept donations, and in some cases have funds to pay in part for land to be conserved, including land that is cropped or pastured as well as land that is held for its natural value such as prairie, wetland, or woodland. The donations of these easements qualify as charitable deductions to federal income tax. Some other states protecting farming close to cities also have adopted tax credit programs to help encourage the donation of agricultural easements. City and county officials should encourage the expansion of an existing private trust or formation of a new one to encourage more of these donations.
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Many households are not well-informed of all the implications of rural living before they make that lifestyle choice. This includes an understanding of the state’s Right to Farm law, which protects farmers from nuisance claims when conducting normal agricultural practices, and an understanding of the difference between urban and rural public services (e.g. road maintenance, emergency medical, fire protection, and police). Objective information on the pros and cons of rural living should be provided to the public through continuing education efforts by the County’s extension service, handouts available to county departments and local realtors, and potentially, documents filed of record with new platted lots for disclosure to prospective buyers.
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Dwelling units, particularly single family detached units, are being used in different ways than in the past. Our community will likely see more emphasis on home occupations. This is partly an outcome of teleworking during the pandemic as technological advanced have allowed this to happen more easily. Going forward, people may also want or need to have 1 or 2 employees or coworkers as part of their home occupation. A recommendation from LPlan 2040 was to explore options for allowing more home occupations that are compatible with neighborhoods. Home occupations are recognized and generally allowed so long as the occupation does not become a large-scale enterprise — one that would be harmful to the residential character of the neighborhood and would violate the purpose of zoning. Home occupation trends in Lincoln and Lancaster County should be monitored. Incremental changes to home occupation regulations may be considered while not changing the overall residential character.
Since 2010, multi-family dwellings have accounted for the majority of all residential building permits, followed by single-family detached and townhomes and duplexes. This is due to several reasons including more restrictive lending practices at the end of the recession and more young households who traditionally enter the market as renters. PlanForward recognizes this increasing trend in the proportion of dwelling units that will be multi-family such as apartments, townhouses, condominiums, etc.
An ordinance passed in 2017 that allowed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a conditional use in the R-1 through R-4 residential zoning districts. About 26% of parcels in residential districts have sufficient size for two units which could include a single-family home and an attached or detached ADU. The ordinance was a first step toward allowing more flexibility in residential unit types in neighborhoods. Residents continue to desire detached accessory buildings for a variety of additional uses, including guest rooms, pool houses, and personal recreation space. There continues to be an increasing demand for ADUs that is not allowed by current regulations. A review and analysis of the adopted regulations may provide insight into ways that additional ADUs could be allowed without significantly changing the character of residential areas.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of housing units in Lancaster County rose from 120,875 units in 2010 to 135,484 units in 2020 – an increase in the housing stock of 14,609 units. The increase in housing units predominantly occurred in the City of Lincoln. Lincoln had 110,546 housing units in 2010 or 91.5 percent of the housing units in Lancaster County. This ratio is consistent with data from 2000 when about 91.3 percent of the housing units (95,199 units) in Lancaster County were in Lincoln. It is expected that Lincoln will continue to have roughly 90 percent of the County’s total housing units. In 2020, housing occupancy for Lancaster County stood at 94.3 percent. This rate is comparable to the 94.8 percent occupancy rate in 2010 and 95.2 occupancy rate in 2000.
P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Developing Neighborhoods
P4: Rural Housing
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P8: Infill and Redevelopment
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P10: Supporting Small Businesses P18: Conservation Design P29: Neighborhood Parks P37: Historic Preservation tP61: Industrial Zoning and Pipelines P62: Transportation Equity P68: Pedestrians P69: Bicycles P70: Transit
G1: Safe, Affordable, and Accessible Housing G2: Complete Neighborhoods G5: Equity and Inclusion
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This element describes the strategy for mixed use infill and redevelopment that strives for compatibility with surroundings while accomplishing various principles of the Plan.
As discussed in the Growth Framework section a significant shift in demographics is expected during the planning period, which will likely create a demand for some smaller dwellings, smaller lots and more walkable neighborhoods that have retail and services integrated to serve residents. In addition, local trends show that urban living is becoming more popular as infill residential development has steadily increased in the past decade. The infill and redevelopment concept for PlanForward focuses on three elements: 1) the existing and expected large supplies of undeveloped or under-utilized commercial land, including Downtown and commercial and industrial areas, which provide the potential for high-density mixed-use redevelopment, 2) neighborhood edges that present the opportunity for “missing middle” and other higher-density housing, and 3) small-scale redevelopment within existing neighborhoods.
Infill redevelopment benefits the community in a variety of ways. The benefits are discussed in the Growth Framework section and also summarized below:
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The Infill and Redevelopment Approach seeks to fulfill the following objectives:
Balancing these objectives in a meaningful way will require diligence, mutual understanding, and an ongoing planning dialogue.
PlanForward identifies the potential for 12,000 new dwelling units to be located within the existing built-out portion of the City, roughly 25 percent of the projected 48,000 new dwelling units to be built citywide by 2050. The scale and intensity of new dwelling units will vary based on context of the surrounding area. This section provides a guide for infill housing types within different districts of the existing City.
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Figure E2.a: Infill Districts
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| District | Housing Type | Units Per Acre | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown and Greater Downtown | High-rise, all unit types below | N/A | Greater Downtown which includes Downtown proper, Antelope Valley, the Haymarket, South Haymarket, Telegraph District and Innovation Campus |
| Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors | Mid-rise, all unit types below | 15+ | Nodes & Corridors, underdeveloped, redeveloping or dilapidated commercial and industrial uses |
| Neighborhood Edges | Missing Middle, ADU, all unit types below | 5-14 | Access to arterials, Transition Areas between Neighborhoods and Non-Residential Uses |
| Existing Neighborhoods | Single-Family Detached, Single-Family Attached, Duplex, ADUs, units otherwise allowed by zoning | 3-5 | Existing, built-out residential neighborhoods |
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A major focus for new residential reuse, infill, and redevelopment is in the Greater Downtown area. Greater Downtown which includes Downtown proper, Antelope Valley, the Haymarket, South Haymarket, Telegraph District, Innovation Campus, and the neighborhoods immediately adjacent to downtown. It is roughly bounded by Salt Creek on the west and north, A Street on the south, and 27th Street on the east.
Over 1,600 dwelling units were added in Greater Downtown from 2011 to 2020, with over 1,100 dwelling units permitted from 2010 to 2015. The Plan envisions an additional 5,000 dwelling units in Greater Downtown by 2050. This area is the main hub of employment, entertainment, and higher education. Over the years, there have been significant public and private investments in new building construction, renovations, and infrastructure. In order to capitalize on these collective investments, further development in the Greater Downtown should be realized.
Information about specific action steps related to Downtown can be found in the Downtown policy. Downtown is discussed in more detail with the Downtown Lincoln Master Plan, which was adopted in 2018 and is part of the Comprehensive Plan.
The City’s primary strategy for residential infill and redevelopment outside of the Greater Downtown is to encourage the redevelopment and reuse of sites and buildings in underutilized commercial and industrial areas. Over 2,300 units were added in redevelopment nodes and corridors from 2011 to 2020. Nodes and corridors are mixed use and transit oriented. Residential development is strongly encouraged. This strategy is meant to create new mixed use areas that complement and enhance adjacent existing neighborhoods, while maximizing use of existing infrastructure.
Nodes may include a broad range of land use types including civic, residential, group housing, retail, office, and service. Potential node locations are shown on the Future Land Use map as commercial or industrial and are typically over five acres. Nodes should have access to arterial streets, public transportation, and proximity to community facilities such as parks and schools. Examples of redeveloped nodes in recent years include 35th & Holdrege/ Idylwild, 48th & Holdrege, and 48th & Leighton.
As the foundation of a great neighborhood, nodes should provide services and retail goods oriented to the residents in and adjacent to the development, with significant pedestrian orientation and access. The adaptive reuse of historic or other existing structures into mixed uses is encouraged.
The size, scope, and spacing of a node will depend on available land area and the surrounding context. In some cases node redevelopment includes complete redevelopment of a site, with removal of existing structures and development of a new site plan. In other cases node redevelopment includes adding new residential or mixed use structures to underutilized areas of a center, such as a rarely-used parking lot, while maintaining some existing commercial structures and uses.
Nodes should be located on arterials and have access to public transit. They should provide adequate facilities for multi-modal transportation including a complete sidewalk network, transit stops, automobile parking and circulation, and storage of bicycles. This concept is designed and intended to be be mutually beneficial for existing adjacent neighborhoods and the new mixed use neighborhood created by the redeveloped center. Newer commercial centers
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that are not yet fully developed are encouraged to utilize this concept as a guide for amending their approved plans to develop as mixed use centers.
Corridors are located along major transportation corridors such as arterials. Corridors often link Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and/or other commercial centers. Residential mixed use redevelopment should be encouraged in these areas, and transportation enhancements may be targeted to support such redevelopment and provide a variety of housing types affordable to diverse income levels.
Corridors represent priorities for future public transportation enhancements (such as increases in level of service), areas to encourage mixed use redevelopment of commercial strips, and connections for Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and/or commercial centers. Corridors are typically a half block to a block wide along arterial streets in commercially or industrially-zoned areas. Since they are often located on major arterials between commercial centers, they experience a lot of traffic and usually have transit service. Corridors present opportunities for small-scale reuse or redevelopment projects and should include a mix of land use types, especially residential including a variety of housing types affordable to diverse income levels. The adaptive reuse of historic or other existing structures into mixed uses is encouraged. Due to the linear nature of Corridors, existing residential neighborhoods are often next door or across the alley from the commercial strip or industrial remnant. This close relationship makes the adoption of design standards very important in proceeding with this strategy.
Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors should be located based on the following criteria:
Figure E2.b displays design strategies that should be applied to future node and corridor redevelopment.
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Figure E2.b: Design Strategies for Mixed Use Nodes and Corridors Example 1
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| Single-Family/Duplexes/Garages | |
| Multi-Family/Assisted Living/Rowhouses/Garages | |
| High-Density Residential | |
| Residential/Commercial Mixed Use | |
| Public/Semi-Public Buildings | |
| Green Space/Natural Resources | |
| Other Open Space | |
| Public Right-of-Way (including sidewalks, street trees, parking and street paving) | |
| Parking Lots/Driveways/Private Alleys | |
| Arterial Streets |
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Figure E2.b: Design Strategies for Mixed Use Nodes and Corridors Example 2
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| Single-Family/Duplexes/Garages | |
| Multi-Family/Assisted Living/Rowhouses/Garages | |
| High-Density Residential | |
| Residential/Commercial Mixed Use | |
| Public/Semi-Public Buildings | |
| Green Space/Natural Resources | |
| Other Open Space | |
| Public Right-of-Way (including sidewalks, street trees, parking and street paving) | |
| Parking Lots/Driveways/Private Alleys | |
| Arterial Streets |
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Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors provide the opportunity for large-scale infill redevelopment, and the creation of new urban neighborhoods that function as “villages within the city” with a mix of uses and amenities that are accessible through multiple modes of transportation.
Existing Regional Centers, discussed in the Business, Economy, and Workforce Element, are identified as Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes. They present unique opportunities for large-scale mixed-use redevelopment given their size, prominent location, and shared B-5 Planned Regional Business zoning district.
O Street is a Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Corridor. It is Lincoln’s “main street” and a key transportation route that provides connections through the heart of the community. The O Street corridor includes a mix of residential
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and commercial uses and features prosperous commercial areas alongside underutilized commercial properties that present strong opportunities for redevelopment.
O Street is also expected to be Lincoln’s first candidate for an enhanced mass transit option, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Dense concentrations of jobs and housing are necessary for BRT or other enhanced transit options to be effective. Focusing efforts on the O Street corridor, and the nodes along the corridor, will help to extend Lincoln’s high-density urban core beyond Downtown.
An example of a Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment opportunity is the Gateway Mall area. A long-term implementation of the nodes and corridors concept could transform the area into a mixed-use neighborhood with higher density residential that supports a variety of commercial uses, high-quality transit options, and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.
Figure E2.c: Gateway Mall Area Long-Term Redevelopment Concept
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Figure E2.d: Locations of Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes and Corridors
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Neighborhood edges present an opportunity for missing middle housing, which can help expand affordable housing options and overall housing choice in the community. Missing middle housing includes “house-scale” buildings that provide typically 3 to 12 units and fit in with the character of single-family neighborhoods. Neighborhood edges exist across the community, both in older and newer neighborhoods. They typically are found adjacent to lower density
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residential areas and are near or have access to an arterial street. Edges may filter or buffer the neighborhoods from commercial or industrial uses or they may act as a seam to adjoining neighborhoods.
Criteria to consider when locating and designing neighborhood edge redevelopment should include:
Zoning tools should be examined for Neighborhood Edges in order to encourage missing middle housing. The R-T Residential Transition District and R-5 Residential District may be appropriate zoning districts for neighborhood edges. Amendments to those zoning districts should be considered to encourage appropriately-placed and well-designed missing middle housing in neighborhood edges.
Figure E2.e: Neighborhood Edge Example
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Infill of housing in existing neighborhoods should respect the existing pattern of development. Infill redevelopment should include housing for a variety of incomes and households and should complement the character of the existing neighborhood by including appropriate transitions, scale, and context.
Examples of infill redevelopment in existing neighborhoods includes:
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High-quality, durable design should be encouraged with all infill redevelopment projects. In many cases redevelopment projects seek to remove blighted conditions and the city should not encourage infill redevelopment with new low-quality structures that will create future blight, especially with projects utilizing TIF or other public incentives. Infill redevelopment should complement and enhance surrounding neighborhoods.
A key mechanism for supporting high-quality design is design standards. As of 2021, urban design standards generally only cover residential areas inside the 1950 City limits along with the Downtown and Capitol Environs. Most commercial areas of the city are not under any design review and sometimes create rough edges and poor entryways to neighborhoods.
PlanForward includes a recommendation to evaluate several options for new design standards.
Facilitating infill and redevelopment in the existing city requires both a nuanced understanding of the challenges associated with redevelopment projects and a well-thought out set of strategies to overcome them. Commonly cited challenges to infill and redevelopment include land cost and assembly, access to financing, and zoning requirements.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF), facilitated by redevelopment plans in blighted areas, has been the city’s most common tool for incentivizing infill redevelopment. TIF is authorized by Nebraska Community Development Law and has been utilized by the City of Lincoln since 1982. TIF uses the added tax revenue created by the redevelopment to finance project-related costs such as land acquisition, core and shell rehabilitation, and public improvements. Traditionally, the developer takes on the debt of the project, pays their full tax burden, and then is allocated back the increment to pay down the debt on the pre-identified project-related costs.
In 2019 the State legislature revised Nebraska Community Development Law to include an “extremely blighted” designation. Areas meeting the criteria of being extremely blighted are eligible for additional Housing Trust Fund dollars and state tax credits for owner-occupied home purchases.
There are many existing and potential redevelopment incentives beyond blighting and TIF (i.e. tax abatement, land value tax, impact fee exclusions). More information can be found in the Redevelopment Incentives policy.
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P1: Housing Affordability
P2: Existing Neighborhoods
P3: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P8: Infill and Redeveloment
P11: Parking Requirements
P14: Commercial Infill
P34: Urban Design Standards
P37: Historic Preservation
G1: Safe, Affordable and Accessible Housing
G2: Complete Neighborhoods
G4: Economic Opportunity
G13: Community Appearance
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This element describes PlanForward's support for economic development, workforce development, and additional commercial and industrial activities.
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Lancaster County is a growing county with a relatively stable economy. Continued economic growth in Lincoln and Lancaster County is expected over the plan period. In order to ensure that growth and employment occur in an organized fashion that meets the vision of PlanForward, principles and strategies are laid out to guide policies and future development.
Lancaster County benefits from many quality of life factors that attract both employers and employees. Lancaster County’s educational systems are among the best in the country and provide a skilled workforce. Lincoln’s neighborhoods provide a good stock of quality housing of many sizes and types. The presence of State government and several college and university campuses creates an attractive economic environment for both employers and employees. Lancaster County provides a wide range of art, entertainment, and recreation opportunities. Public and private investment in Lincoln is evident in the Downtown, Antelope Valley, Innovation Campus, West Haymarket, and Telegraph District projects. All of these assets should be emphasized to encourage economic development.
The purposes of this discussion, the economy divided into four major sectors: Business and Commerce, Government, Industrial, and Agriculture. Below is a summary of recent trends in each sector. More details can be found in the Annual Community Indicators Report.
Business & Commerce: This sector has shown the most robust employment growth over the past decade. It is the largest sector in Lancaster County based on employment and number of establishments. Industries include Professional Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Education and Health, Financial Activities, Information, and Other Services. The decreased employment in 2020 represents impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Figure E3.a: Business & Commerce Sector Employment
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Government: The second largest sector in Lancaster County based on employment. This sector includes Federal, State and Local government. The top three employers in Lancaster County are all in the public sector: Lincoln Public Schools, State of Nebraska, and University of Nebraska. The decreased employment in 2020 represents impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure E3.b: Government Sector Employmemt
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
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Industrial: The Industrial sector has experienced steady growth since having a record low number of employees in 2010 during the last recession. Industries in this sector include Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, and Mining. The decreased employment in 2020 represents impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure E3.C: Industrial Sector Employmemt
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Agriculture: Agriculture is a major factor in Lancaster County’s economy with over 3/4 of the land area of the county being used for agricultural production. Niche farms have seen strong growth over the past decade and are expected to continue to grow as more local food is demanded by the growing population.
It is expected that employment in Lancaster County will continue to grow across all sectors during the planning period, matching the slow and steady projected population growth discussed in the Growth Framework section of the plan.
The Greater Lincoln Workforce Development Area Local Plan
Workforce development activities in Lancaster County are governed by the Greater Lincoln Workforce Development Board. The Board includes leaders from business, economic development, education, organized labor, and community organizations to provide oversight of employment and training programs in Lancaster and Saunders counties. The Board is responsible for planning the use of federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds to positively impact employer and worker prosperity. Board members are appointed by the Mayor of Lincoln.
The Greater Lincoln Workforce Investment Plan, developed by the Workforce Development Board, coordinates and documents workforce development activities in the county. The Workforce Investment Plan identifies a vision and goals, with detailed strategies and benchmarks coordinated among multiple organizations, for achieving those goals.
The top goal identified in the Workforce Plan is to advance living wages and inclusivity. As stated in the plan:
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Individuals that work full-time should achieve a measure of stability. The workforce board is committed to reducing poverty among our working people. We are committed to building career pathways what will support our people in achieving economic independence. We will foster economic inclusivity by investing in people with unrealized potential including youth and individuals with barriers to employment.
There are a variety of organizations that contribute to the local workforce development system and are included in the Workforce Investment Plan. They include but are not limited to:
A key resource to implementing the Workforce Investment Plan is the American Job Center, which houses multiple job training service providers and provides services to both job seekers and businesses seeking employees. American Job Center partners provide on-site and networked career development information, education and training programs, case management, and job placement assistance.
The American Job Center facility that is located in Downtown Lincoln offers free access to a resource room which includes computers with internet, telephones, and fax machines. The resource rooms is open to the public on a self-service basis. Staff are available to assist job seekers with building a resume, general career exploration, and job search. The center provides a full array of employment and training related services for workers, youth and businesses.
American Job Center functions are primarily funded by the federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA), although the City funds certain staff and administrative functions. Because WIOA funds are targeted to certain populations of adults, dislocated workers and youth, the majority of American Job Center services are also targeted to benefit that part of the workforce.
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The WIOA supported through the American Job Center provides a variety of services to support employers, including:
The ideas found in the Greater Lincoln Workforce Investment Plan and implemented through WIOA, American Job Center, and other partners align with the PlanForward vision. The policies found in this Comprehensive Plan support the continued efforts of the Workforce Development Board along with the public and private organizations that contribute to a strong local workforce.
Specialized Industries for Economic Development
Lancaster County’s workforce, the presence of the University, and the strength of the agricultural economy make it particularly attractive for development of several specialized industries.
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In relation to the strengths and opportunities within the local economy, the Greater Lincoln Workforce Development Area Local Plan identifies four priority areas for career pathways. Many and strategies within the Workforce plan relate to further developing the workforce within these industries.
In the summer of 2020 Mayor Gaylor-Baird formed the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force. The group was tasked with developing data driven, locally informed strategies for supporting local businesses and employment as the local economy begins to recover from COVID-19, while fostering public health, inclusion, and resilience in Lincoln.
The Task Force released their report at the end of August 2020. The report includes strategies for both business and workforce development. Recommendations that will assist long-term recovery include:
View the entire Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force Report.
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The Workforce Development topic was not covered in previous Comprehensive Plans. This policy reinforces the importance of a well-trained workforce in our community and identifies key partnerships.
P9. Skilled, Diverse and Trained Workforce: Support development of a skilled, diverse, and trained workforce that enables economic growth and high-quality jobs. Support high-quality community-based, culturally appropriate, and accessible employment training programs that allow employers to hire a more diverse workforce and provide more residents access to living wage jobs; and ensure that workforce development programs and City initiatives emphasize in-demand careers that provide for financial stability.
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Downtown continues to be the most economically productive area of the county on an acre-for-acre basis. According to the market assessment completed with the 2018 Downtown Master Plan, Downtown Lincoln has approximately 41,000 workers — 22 percent of Lincoln's overall workforce. While the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has likely changed the makeup and location of employment across the country, including Lincoln, it is expected that Downtown Lincoln will remain the commercial and employment center of southeast Nebraska.
Downtown Lincoln stands as a unique community resource. Downtown is the County's most intensive center of activity, offering a broad mix of retail, office, industrial, residential, and governmental uses. It is home to numerous public facilities — including the Nebraska State Capitol, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's main campus, and the County-City Building — as well as private endeavors— including finance, insurance, and other business services. Downtown Lincoln has historically served as the community's dominant center of entertainment, and that role is expected to continue over the coming decades.
The Downtown Lincoln Master Plan was completed in 2018. The Plan identifies priorities for downtown physical improvements, catalyst developments, and policies to guide the City of Lincoln, the Downtown Lincoln Association, the development community and other Downtown stakeholders, and strengthen Downtown's role as the region's "center of opportunity."
PlanForward supports implementation of the Downtown Master Plan to preserve and enhance Downtown's role as:
The majority of new development takes place in the urban area of Lincoln. However, it is important to strengthen existing commercial areas and support new development within all the incorporated communities of Lancaster County. Commercial development in towns also provides opportunities for businesses that support rural residents within the county. Farms are an important part of the history and economy of the region. Agriculture is the dominant land use in Lancaster County, accounting for over 3/4 of all land. While this land is largely considered "undeveloped," it is still an important economic factor in the county's future. Agriculture's impact on the local economy goes beyond the sale at the end of production. Farms of all sizes make purchases of goods and services in the city and county throughout the year, which contribute to the local tax base and sustain growth for other businesses in the agriculture industry.
Development within the incorporated towns and their one-mile zoning jurisdiction will be determined by the communities themselves. PlanForward supports these communities and their efforts to maintain and improve their commercial and industrial base.
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Lancaster County has experienced significant increases in commercial and industrial development over the last several decades. Numerous new shopping centers, office complexes, and industrial facilities have been built – representing valuable economic resources for the community.
Lincoln remains the county's dominant home to both the commercial and industrial sectors of the local economy. Most of the recent growth in commercial and industrial space has occurred within the city limits of Lincoln, with other incorporated communities experiencing some growth as well. This clustering of commercial and industrial activity in the City of Lincoln has been completed in accordance with the goals of previous comprehensive plans, and PlanForward continues this development pattern.
Commercial and Industrial Centers in Lancaster County should be located:
Based on the projected population growth rates, the Plan identifies the potential for a total of 57.6 million square feet of occupied retail, office, and service uses by 2050 – an increase of roughly 12 million square feet above the occupied commercial space in 2020. A substantial portion of this future commercial capacity will be accommodated on sites already zoned or approved for commercial development or that have been identified on the Future Land Use map for future commercial land use. It should be noted that these assumptions for commercial growth are based on
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trends present prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of plan approval the long-term economic impacts of the pandemic are unclear, and it’s possible that PlanForward’s commercial assumptions will need to be re-evaluated as part of the next plan update.
“Commercial Centers” are defined as areas containing a mix of retail, office, service, and residential uses, with some light manufacturing and warehousing in selected circumstances. Other land uses such as child care centers, assisted living facilities, and recreational facilities may be integrated within the center as well. Commercial Centers are distinguished from Industrial Centers by their dominance of commercial uses over industrial uses, and in the types of industrial uses located in them — that is, the uses are less intrusive in terms of lighting, noise, odors, truck and vehicular traffic, and pollutants. Where properly sited, light manufacturing uses may be a part of larger Commercial Centers.
The Commercial Centers concept gives recognition to the evolving role of commercial uses in the life of cities. Commercial Centers encompass a broad range of land uses and are intended to encourage the mixing and integration of compatible land use types. Residential mixed use is encouraged.
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Figure E3.d: Commercial Center Design Strategies
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Figure E3.d: Commercial Center Design Strategies
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There are many types of Commercial Centers, with different scales and functions. They can include shopping centers or districts (such as neighborhood centers, large scale retail malls, strip centers, and traditional store-front retail settings), residential mixed use centers, office parks, business parks, stand-alone corporate office campuses, research and technology parks, and Downtown Lincoln. Within Lincoln, outside of Downtown, the largest commercial centers are designated as Regional Centers. Regional centers have the greatest potential impact on adjacent land uses and public infrastructure, so it is important that they are sited well in advance of development.
The following section describes the general characteristics of Regional Centers along with their location. Other types of commercial centers are briefly described, and their location is generally in accordance with the Future Land Use map “Commercial” designation. Smaller commercial areas less than five acres in size need not be identified specifically on the Future Land Use map, but should still develop in accordance with the principles of the Plan.
Regional Centers typically contain one million or more square feet of developed building space. They generally include a unique blend of commercial and other compatible land uses. Within this type of center, one may find retail shopping, restaurants, entertainment complexes, cultural and artistic institutions, offices, personal and business service facilities, public institutions and governmental functions, and the center should include residential uses. The scale of such centers can offer a sense of place with a unique character or cohesive theme. Regional Centers are also identified as Primary Mixed Use Redevelopment Nodes as discussed in more detail in the Infill and Redevelopment element.
Many Regional Centers are large scale retail centers that include a mall with several department store anchors and numerous small shops, as well as adjacent commercial development with stand-alone restaurants and stores, such as Gateway Mall or SouthPointe Pavilions.
Regional centers are unique in that they have their own zoning district (B-5, Planned Regional Business). Most notably, B-5 is the only zoning district outside of Downtown that allows for large movie theater complexes (up to six screens), with one complex allowed per regional center.
Regional Centers should be geographically well dispersed throughout the Lincoln urban area, roughly four to six miles apart. The locations of existing Regional Centers are shown on the Regional Commercial Centers map and they are shown as “Commercial” on the Future Land Use map. These existing centers are sufficient for the needs of the community through 2050 and no new additional Regional Centers are planned for at this time. Should any new Regional Centers be proposed during the planning period they should be sited on the map well in advance of development so that their potential impact may be considered as part of the development review process.
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Figure E3.e: Regional Centers
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PlanForward 2050
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Community Centers may vary in size from approximately 250,000 to 600,000 square feet of commercial space. They are intended to be smaller in scale and intensity of uses than Regional Centers and serve a more targeted market and geographic area. Community Centers tend to be dominated by retail and service activities, although they can also serve as campuses for corporate office facilities and should include a mix of residential uses.
Community Centers can have a community-wide appeal but primarily serve a geographic subarea within Lincoln and surrounding areas within the County. They should be located approximately 1 to 1 ½ miles apart, depending upon their size, scale, function, and area population. Community Centers are typically sited in advance of development and shown as “Commercial” on the Future Land Use map.
Neighborhood Centers typically range in size from 50,000 to 250,000 square feet of commercial space. They provide services and retail goods oriented to the neighborhood level, with significant pedestrian orientation and access. Residential mixed use is encouraged. Neighborhood centers are a key element of the Complete Neighborhoods concept discussed in the associated Goal and Element.
These centers typically serve the neighborhood level. Neighborhood Centers should be located approximately ½ mile apart, depending upon their size, scale, function and the population of the surrounding area. Future Neighborhood Centers are typically not sited on the Future Land Use map in advance but are identified as development plans are approved.
Other types of commercial centers in Lincoln include office centers and highway-oriented commercial centers. These should generally be dispersed throughout the community in appropriate locations shown as “Commercial” on the Future Land Use map.
A variety of commercial land uses seek infill and redevelopment locations. There are numerous opportunities throughout the community including many existing commercial centers that are not fully occupied or do not fully utilize their site.
The Commercial Infill Policy includes general guidelines for commercial infill. The following text and image show how commercial design principles can be utilized to create a high-quality commercial redevelopment project that is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
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Figure E3.f: Commercial Infill Design Strategies
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Industrial employment is considered an employment sector with moderate growth potential for the city and county. Based on population projections, PlanForward expects the demand for nearly 1.9 square miles of additional industrial property over the planning period. There is currently nearly nine square miles of undeveloped land designated for Industrial on the Future Land Use map. This existing undeveloped area will absorb most new industrial demand in the planning period. Industrial areas are shown on the Future Land Use map well in advance of development in order to ensure public safety and adequate infrastructure. In addition, since industrial sites often have specific requirements - such as interstate/highway/rail access, utilities, minimal topography and separation from residential uses - it is important to identify sites that meet these criteria and reserve them for future industrial development capacity.
The Future Land Use map includes two types of industrial uses: Industrial and Light Industrial.
In general the Industrial category is for a wide range of traditional industrial uses including manufacturing, processing and assembly uses such as Veyance, Archer Daniels Midland, and Kawasaki. In the past, large industrial users were often located in isolation from each other; preferably new industries should locate together in planned industrial centers. Many industrial centers also include some warehouse, storage and contractor yard uses with a minor amount of supporting commercial use — but they should be and usually are over 75% industrial use.
New industrial centers should be distant from existing or planned residential areas. Industrial uses should be located in close proximity to each other. Transitional uses (such as offices or commercial uses) should develop between industrial centers and residential uses. In redeveloping areas, lesser setbacks may be acceptable due to the existing conditions, as long as industrial zoning does not get closer to existing residences. Each planned industrial district should be established only after further consideration of site characteristics, buffering and appropriate zoning.
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Light Industrial
The Light Industrial category is for uses that have a minimal impact on surrounding properties. They could include lighter manufacturing uses with some additional office and retail uses located within the center, such as the Horizon Business Center located near 14th & Pine Lake Road south of Lincoln Southwest High School.
Light industrial centers can be located more closely to residential uses than traditional industrial centers, though residential uses should be buffered through landscaping, setbacks, and transitional uses, such as office or open space. In redeveloping areas, smaller setbacks may be acceptable due to the existing conditions, as long as existing industrial zoning does not closer to existing residences.
The land use categories are shown on the Future Land Use map in the Growth Framework section.
Potential Large Employer Opportunity Areas
When locating large employers all efforts should be made to utilize sites identified on the Future Land Use map for Commercial or Industrial uses. However, in some cases an employer may need to look elsewhere to find a viable site. These “second tier” sites may currently have limited infrastructure, but some employers may find them desirable due to their large size, highway and/or rail accessibility, and remoteness from residential areas. In some cases these sites may even be outside the Future Service Limit. In order to support economic development efforts, these “second tier” sites should be given serious consideration if needed for a large employer.
Listed below items to consider when looking at sites not currently shown on the Future Land Use map for Commercial or Industrial uses:
Policies Related to this Element
P5: Downtown
P6: Nodes and Corridors
P7: Redevelopment Incentives
P8: Infill and Redevelopment
P9: Skilled, Diverse, and Trained Workforce
P10: Supporting Small Businesses
P11: Parking Requirements
P12: Economic Growth
P13: Commercial and Industrial Centers
P14: Commercial Infill
P15: Infrastructure and Economic Development
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P16: Rural Economy
P17: Predictability
P34: Urban Design Standards
P37: Historic Preservation
P67: Transportation and Economic Health
G3: High-Quality Workforce
G4: Economic Opportunity
G5: Equity and Inclusion
G14: Technology
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This chapter includes an outline of the guiding principles for environmental resources, a discussion of environmental resource features and a long range planning and implementation approach with associated strategies, entitled “The Greenprint Challenge.”
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Lancaster County is characterized by flat and rolling plains, sloping toward the east from a high elevation of 1,520 feet in the southwest, to its lowest point of 1,080 feet where Salt Creek exits the northeastern portion of the county. The Salt Creek basin defines most of the County’s topography, with portions of the Middle Big Blue (southwest), Big Nemaha (southeast) and Little Nemaha (east) basins also entering the County borders.
Surface water flows in over 400 miles of warm water streams over the gentle slope, contributing to numerous ponds and lakes, including 16 major lakes between 20 and 1,800 acres each, most built in the 1960s by the Army Corps of Engineers. These lakes provide recreation and habitat to the people and animals of Lancaster County. Surface water is susceptible to pollution in the form of sedimentation and contamination from runoff. Fertilizers and sediment are the most common water quality problems in the County’s streams and lakes. Agriculture, construction, and urban runoff are the primary sources of water pollution. The Watershed Management division of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities and the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District (NRD) partner to design management plans that address both the quantity and quality of surface water.
Ground water seeps into the ground and collects, is stored, and moves slowly through layers of soil. Groundwater is almost exclusively the source of drinking water in Lancaster County. Generally, groundwater quality and quantity is higher in the southern portions of the County. Residential, agricultural, and industrial users outside the urbanized area obtain about 25% of the water used in the Dakota aquifer beneath Lancaster County. High salinity in the northern part of the county makes groundwater more difficult to acquire.
Groundwater contamination includes infiltration of agricultural chemicals into supplies. Small areas of contamination, mostly in the urban area, have also been identified. The Lower Platte South NRD, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, and other public and private non-profit entities work together in programs to cap abandoned wells, protect wellhead areas, and educate the public on proper use and disposal of potential contaminants.
Figure E4a: Water Cycle
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Wildlife includes white-tailed deer, a wide variety of songbirds, ground birds, and small mammals, migrating and resident water fowl, and a variety of fish species. Large mammals include predators such as fox, coyote, and bobcats. Many species such as raccoon, squirrel, and opossum are commonly seen in both urban and rural areas. Lancaster County is also home to several State and Federal threatened and endangered species which are discussed later in this element. Recent decreases in some pollinator species, drawing national attention, are also a priority for research and habitat restoration.
The soils of Lancaster County are intimately tied to groundwater. Soils are widely varied in the County with the most common being the Sharpsburg, Wymore, Pawnee, Judson, and Kennebec soil series. Generally, soils north of Lincoln show higher infiltration rates, are able to hold more water, and are more likely to be saline. Soils to the south have slower infiltration rates and higher run-off potential. Soil erosion is a primary concern as agricultural production forms a major economic base for Lincoln and Lancaster County. Thirty-one percent of soils in the non-urbanized areas of Lancaster County are classified as Prime Farmland and are located primarily along streams and bottomland.
Air quality in Lancaster County has historically been high. Lancaster County benefits from prevailing westerly winds and an extensive rural landscape between Lincoln and Denver, CO. The level of air pollution as measured against standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency is low. The Lincoln – Lancaster County Health Department conducts regular air quality monitoring activities and provides up to date information on their website.
Lancaster County boasts a diverse set of environmental resources and landscape types that should be respected and maintained. The Greenprint Challenge, developed by the City of Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department, Parks and Recreation, and the Lower Platte South NRD in 2001, provides an approach for sound and sensitive urban and rural development that is interwoven with the community's desire for maintaining and enhancing the ecological and economic benefits of our natural and cultural environment. Although over 20 years old, the resources identified, and the recommended principles for their protection, in the Greenprint Challenge are still applicable today and will continue to be in the future.
Lancaster County's environmental resources reside within a broad range of settings that should be considered as policy and decisions are made. PlanForward should consider both the local and broader regional and global impacts of actions affecting environmental resources. Both the rural and urban areas should receive equal priority in the planning process as environmental resources are found throughout Lancaster County. Cooperative relationships with public and private partners should be reinforced with the emphasis on environmental resource features rather than patterns of ownership. The community should capitalize on the economic benefits that the preservation of environmental resources can provide. Well managed environmental resources generate and reinforce business opportunities.
Signature landscapes are those areas and natural features that are unique to a region and contribute to the identity of the community. The Lincoln and Lancaster County community's landscape is primarily shaped by Salt Creek and its tributaries and the natural features in it include riparian and floodplain areas, freshwater and unique saline wetlands, wooded corridors and urban forests, and rolling hills covered in agricultural crops, pasture, and rare fragments of remnant tallgrass prairie. As open spaces are identified for conservation or inclusion as public parks, the preservation, enhancement and restoration of our environmental resources and signature landscapes should be included in planning.
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The maintenance of healthy soil is critical for the long-term survival of both natural habitat and agriculturally productive land. Healthy soil is composed not only of minerals but also of the roots that wind through them, decaying organic matter, and the bacteria, fungus, and invertebrates that feed on them. The region known as the Great Plains once boasted a thick layer of healthy soil, rich in organic material and supporting one of the most diverse ecoregions on the planet - prairie. Maintaining a diverse range of plants ultimately supports a healthier environment for all plants and animals. Plants are a basic environmental building block. They provide habitat and food for animals, as well as aide in sustaining other vegetation that holds the soil and protects the water. Plants and animals do not exist in isolation. They interact with each other and reside within an integrated habitat. Implementation of PlanForward needs to respect biological connections that exist today and provide responsive means for maintaining those associations. Plants and soil work together as a natural solution for carbon sequestration. Healthy soil and plant communities hold carbon in their organic material and keep it from escaping into the atmosphere. Agricultural and development practices that work to protect soils and maintain healthy plant cover are important for reduction of carbon in the atmosphere.
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Although Lincoln and Lancaster County are a part of the tallgrass prairie ecoregion, European settlement, which included the suppression of historic wildfires, led to the proliferation of trees, particularly along waterways. As Lincoln and surrounding villages began to grow, trees were planted to provide shade, firewood, building material, food, and to beautify neighborhoods and common spaces. This Urban Forest represents a significant community investment, both public and private. Although not technically part of the natural environment, the environmental benefits are far-reaching and highly important to the community.
The Urban Forest is composed of privately owned trees and the Community Forest, made up of trees in public right-of-way and on public land, such as parks and open spaces. Many of the trees have been deliberately planted, but some are volunteer trees from native stock or offspring of planted trees. Care for the Community Forest is a public obligation carried out primarily by the Parks and Recreation Department. Comprehensive and adaptive urban forestry management approaches should be applied to sustain the city’s urban forest; it is essential that adequate human and financial resources be allocated and specifically dedicated to sustaining our community’s expanding public green infrastructure in conjunction with increasing development and population growth.
While planning for future growth is integral to PlanForward, it is equally important that environmental resource features be accorded similar attention. The community should invest planning resources into the early identification of those areas that are most valued as part of the Greenprint Challenge. This principle supports the notion of “getting ahead of the game” by knowing what resources are most valued, where they are located, and what actions should be made within the broader planning process to secure their future for the community.
Maintaining a balance between the natural and human built environment is always delicate. The policies of PlanForward should strive to incorporate such uses in the full range of urban and rural landscapes. As cities and villages expand, establishing corridors and districts of green should be part of the growth process. This often requires the advance delineation of these areas and the means for securing their ongoing protection and maintenance. Securing the long-term permanence of green space is a basic dilemma in natural resources planning. The use of
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“green space development incentives” (e.g., setting aside non-buildable areas, creating green space preserves, density bonuses) should be a primary consideration in implementing this plan.
The local food movement was born of a desire to provide a secure source of nutritious food that has a reduced impact on the environment and increased benefit to the health of consumers. Many urban areas have few sources of fresh produce, meats, and dairy products, and many consumers must rely upon convenience foods and fast food restaurants.
Food that is transported over great distances, sometimes from other continents, consumes a great deal of energy in that transport and produces a corresponding amount of greenhouse gases. Production of food closer to the urban center, if not within it, reduces the distance food must be transported, increases the freshness of food available, supports the local agricultural economy, and provides nutritious food to those who might not otherwise be able to obtain it.
Local food may be produced in the rural area of the County, or counties nearby, or it may also be produced within the urban area itself. In any case, the preservation of land for food production both nearby and within the City is integral to local food opportunities. Prime farmland within the County should be preserved for its agricultural value as well as potential for food production.
Within the City, community gardens, bee keeping, chicken coops, farmer’s markets, and local cooperative markets are all important links in the local food chain. Building a strong local food network takes the cooperation of both public and private sectors. Organizations such as Community Crops, Nebraska Food Cooperative, and the University of Nebraska Extension Service have been at the forefront in the provision of local food program support.
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An action step supporting urban gardens throughout the community was included in order to provide additional opportunities for healthy food options.
Promote urban gardens in all parts of the community, with focus on neighborhoods that lack convenient access to fresh foods.
As a PlanForward land use category, “environmental resources” represent an important part of today’s urban and rural landscapes. Such features need to be valued and sustained as part of the overall planning process if they are to remain as vital parts of the natural heritage left for succeeding generations. These features help to define the County’s unique sense of place — geographically, culturally, and temporally. The Plan fully recognizes the harmony and connections that exist within and among these features. Thirteen separate environmental resource features are recognized in the Plan. The Greenprint Challenge map displays generalized locations within the county in which these resources categories may be found. For a more detailed map, the Natural Resources Geographic Information System (NRGIS) map can be accessed, and categories can be toggled off and on to view their location. A brief description of each of the Plan’s environmental resource features and specific strategies for protecting these features is provided below.
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This feature refers to the tallgrass prairie areas that are dominated by big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, and sideoats grama grass species. Numerous wildflowers and forbs are also found in these prairies, including golden rod, purple coneflower, purple prairie clover, and black-eyed susan. Though historically they were the region’s prevailing natural condition, native prairies are an increasingly rare feature on the Nebraska landscape. The original tallgrass prairie stretched from Manitoba to Texas and east to Indiana covering approximately 200 million acres. According to the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project (2011), less than 1% of the original tallgrass prairie area remains today in the continental U.S. and about 2% in Nebraska in remnant pieces of 80 acres or less. Tallgrass Prairie is one of the most threatened ecosystems in North America and the world. Correspondingly grassland birds are the suite of birds experiencing the most significant decline in their global populations. This critical landscape is not only essential to provide habitat to birds and other wildlife species but is also essential to helping maintain water quality, grazing agriculture, historical features and scenic qualities of Lancaster County.
This resource thrives in conditions of disturbance caused by fires and grazing. Management strategies that mimic natural disturbance are important for diverse, healthy prairie. Lancaster County is fortunate to have about 8,640 acres of native prairie remaining, mainly in the west central portion of the county, although they are scattered throughout the county in patches of land that must remain whole if their integrity as a natural resource feature is to continue. Three of the larger massings of native grasslands in Lancaster County are Nine-Mile Prairie, Pioneers Park and Spring Creek Prairie and are noted below:
Nine-Mile Prairie: Nine-Mile Prairie and surrounding environs are home to a wide variety of tallgrass prairie plants and animal species that constitute a subset of Nebraska species statewide. Based on research findings, Nine-Mile Prairie itself is home to over a quarter of the plant diversity across Nebraska and one-fifth of the bird species. The property is part of Nebraska’s land-grant university legacy as formative research on the theory of plant succession ecology was conducted on the property. While Nine-Mile Prairie itself is just 230 acres, the University of Nebraska actively cooperates with agencies and neighbors to conserve a grassland area of roughly 1000 acres.
Pioneers Park: Restored tallgrass prairie, known as the Hands-on Prairie, was constructed in several phases throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The 668 acres of land within the Nature Center contain tallgrass prairies, lowland prairies, wetlands, woodlands, and streams. Nearly 500 acres of this land is tallgrass prairie.
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This feature refers to areas that have hydric (i.e., water-bearing) soils, are frequently if not regularly moist, and are home to water tolerant plants. These types of wetlands are distinguished from “saline wetlands” by the lack of salt in the water that keep them wet. Freshwater wetlands are more prevalent in the county than are saline wetlands; however, they provide important water quality and habitat functions. The use of many freshwater and saline wetlands are regulated under Section 404 of the Federal Clean Water Act.
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This feature refers to those locations in the county where wetlands having a high salt content can be found. These wetlands played a large part in the founding of Lancaster County, as settlers were attracted by the salt deposits. Saline wetlands have four distinguishing characteristics: a type of soil usually associated with damp or soggy areas; the presence of water during most of the year; a high occurrence of saline (otherwise known as salt); and plants that are adapted to wet, salty soils. Eastern Nebraska saline wetlands are rare, with perhaps 1,400 acres remaining in the county. They tend to be found along Little Salt Creek and Rock Creek to the north and northeast of Lincoln. They provide habitat to a number of threatened and endangered species of plants and animals — the Salt Creek tiger beetle and the saltwort plant in particular. The Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership (SWCP) was established in 2002. The partners include the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the Nature Conservancy.
The Implementation Plan for the Conservation of Nebraska’s Eastern Saline Wetlands was completed in 2003. This plan seeks a partnership approach to address the conservation of saline wetlands and the needs of the community.
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The goal is “No net loss of saline wetlands and their associated functions with a long-term gain in sustaining wetland functions through the restoration of hydrology, prescribed wetland management, and watershed protection.” In 2015, the Upper Little Salt Creek Saline Wetlands Plan was completed. Goals and objectives of the plan are to: identify a planning area boundary and identify land management, rehabilitation and conservation goals for the planning area; collect field and spatial data to evaluate existing conditions and prioritize projects; evaluate techniques used in saline wetland rehabilitation; and assist Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership with future decision making for the planning area.
This feature refers to those plant and animal species whose continued existence have been identified by Federal and/ or State officials as being threatened or endangered. In Lancaster County these include the Salt Creek tiger beetle (State and Federal Endangered), Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (State and Federal Threatened), Saltwort or Western Glasswort (State Endangered), Red Knot (Federal Threatened), Whooping Crane (State and Federal Endangered), and the Northern Long-Eared Bat (State and Federal Threatened). Other vulnerable species having habitat or that have historically been found in Lancaster County include the Bald Eagle (State and Federal Threatened), River Otter (State Threatened), Small White Lady’s Finger Orchid (State Threatened), Topeka Shiner (State and Federal Endangered), Massasauga Rattle Snake (State Threatened) and American Burying Beetle (State and Federal Endangered). A final rule designating critical habitat for the Salt Creek tiger beetle was made in 2014, and a recovery plan was completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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This feature refers to the region’s watersheds and the waterways they produce. These areas are demarcated by ridge lines that define the top of each basin. The majority of the county falls within the Salt Creek Basin with its numerous tributaries to Salt Creek forming smaller watersheds or sub-basins. A portion of the county in the extreme southeast also drains to the Nemaha River Basin. The Watershed Management section of the Energy & Utilities element further describes the Salt Creek and associated sub-basins and the management plans being created for them.
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This feature refers to land that is susceptible to flooding or that has flood prone soils. Approximately 13.8% of Lancaster County is covered by floodplains. Floodplains provide multiple benefits to both the natural (flood storage, habitat, water quality) and built (recreation, public health and safety, economic) environments. The overriding policy for the floodplain is a "No Adverse Impact" policy for the City and County, which means that the community has a goal of insuring that the action of one property owner does not adversely impact the flooding risk for other properties. Further discussion of floodplain and stormwater management considerations and strategies can be found in the Watershed Management section of the Energy & Utilities element.
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This feature refers to spaces immediately adjacent to water courses on each side of a stream. They are most often located in the floodplain. They frequently contain a large amount of woody vegetation. Riparian areas can serve as linear connections between natural and built areas, as well as boundaries and edges to a variety of adjacent land uses. They offer numerous benefits including flood storage, stormwater conveyance, wildlife habitat, recreation, visual appeal, and shaded areas.
This feature refers to land — about 90.3 percent of the county — utilized for growing crops, raising livestock, or producing other agricultural products. Though agricultural activity is identified as a separate land use category in PlanForward, agricultural land does constitute a distinctive natural resource feature as well. These lands are an integral element in the natural landscape providing habitat as well as being a basic element of the County's historic signature landscape. More information about agricultural areas can be found in the Complete Neighborhoods & Housing element of this Plan.
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This feature refers to places that are significant because of their unique character, because significant activities or events occurred at those sites, or because persons who have had a significant impact on culture are associated with the sites. Cultural and historic landscapes are also considered in the Placemaking element, because they individually and collectively add value to the community's sense of place and hold an important place in affirming memorable images of the County's heritage. Further discussion of cultural and historic resources can be found in the Placemaking element.
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This feature refers to important or unique natural resources, places, structures, and landmarks. The views of these features can be from nearby or afar. Vistas refer to areas that afford significant views. Views and vistas, such as those to the State Capitol, provide key points of reference and help create the County’s signature landscape. The Capitol View Corridors are also more thoroughly described in the Placemaking element.
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While PlanForward recognizes parks, trails, and recreational areas as a separate, distinctive land use category, they are an important part of the overall county’s natural resource base. They include a diverse collection of sites and facilities owned, managed, and maintained by public entities and accessible to the general community. They accommodate a variety of recreational uses including passive and active recreation, hunting, fishing, and boating. For continued discussion on other parks and recreation facilities, please see the Parks, Recreation & Open Space element.
This feature refers to the trees and other woody plants that have been planted or grow naturally within the communities in Lancaster County. Though many may not consider the urban forest to be part of the natural environment, it represents a significant community investment — exemplified in Lincoln being a “Tree City” — with its elimination or neglect having substantially detrimental consequences. The urban forest is more thoroughly discussed in the Parks, Recreation & Open Space element.
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This feature refers to the County’s natural wooded areas, especially those exhibiting bur oak/hickory associations. Woodlands in this context exclude the numerous stands of trees dominated by elm species, red cedar, mulberry, etc. This feature is also distinct from the riparian areas discussed earlier in this element.
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Figure E4b: Environmental Resource
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P18: Conservation Design
P19: Native Prairie
P20: Ecology and Habitat
P21: Floodplains and Riparian Areas
P22: Local Food
P23: Salt Valley Greenway and Connecting Green Corridors Concept Implementation
P24: Environmental Resource Protection
P25: Open Space with Development
P26: Community Forestry Management
P55: Watershed PlanningGoals Related to this Element
G7: Environmental Stewardship
G8: Community Resiliency
G11: Rural Environment
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This element describes principles and strategies for acquiring and managing parks, recreation and activity centers, open space, greenways, and other recreational facilities in the community.
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The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department is the primary public sector provider of recreational services to residents. The Department manages 165 different sites on 7,718 acres of parks and open space land. These sites include Traditional Parks (i.e. Regional, Community, and Neighborhood Parks) as well as other land or facilities that are owned and maintained by the City, detailed in the following table.
Table E5.a: Sites Managed by the Parks and Recreation Department
| Site Type | Count | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Parks | 107 | 2,351 |
| Trails**/Trailheads* | 3 (trailheads) | 523 |
| Gardens/Plazas/Boulevards | 11 | 27 |
| Pools*/Golf Courses/Dog Runs* | 9 | 824 |
| Conservancy/Undeveloped | 33 | 3,993 |
| Other | 2 | 0.6 |
| Total | 165 | 47,719 |
Parks and open space enhance the quality of life of the community’s residents and are central to the community’s economic development strategy—the community’s ability to attract and retain viable businesses, industries, and employees is directly linked to quality of life issues, including indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities.
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Signature landscapes are defined as those areas and natural features that are unique to Lincoln and Lancaster County and contribute to the identity of the community; acquisition and development of parks and open space areas should conserve and enhance these areas and features.
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It is important that the community continue to acquire parkland and conserve open space areas commensurate with expanding development and population growth, and in accordance with the Parks Department's 10-Year Facilities Plan, with the responsibilities for acquisition and development of parkland and conservation of open space shared among many cooperating partner agencies and organizations. In addition, it is important to anticipate the transition of sites from management by the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District to the City as surrounding areas urbanize.
Comprehensive and adaptive urban forestry management approaches should be applied to sustain the city’s urban forest; it is essential that adequate human and financial resources be allocated and specifically dedicated to sustaining our community’s expanding public green infrastructure in conjunction with increasing development and population growth.
Public and private partnerships are important in the development of recreational opportunities and the preservation of environmental resources that bring a high quality of life to the City and County.
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Regional Parks and Tournament Sports Facilities are tracts of land that encompass special or unique facilities and features that are of interest to diverse groups throughout the community. Regional Parks primarily provide opportunities for day use activities that may include community festival/ gathering spaces, picnicking, hiking, sports, fishing, canoeing, boating, and environmental interpretation/appreciation. Fields and courts for organized sports activities may be secondary or primary uses.
One new Regional Park is anticipated for the Stevens Creek area during the plan period; one new Tournament Sports Facility is anticipated on the site of Oak Creek Park north of Oak Creek and as redevelopment of the existing Oak Lake Park to the south. The current citywide Level of Service (LOS) is 2.8 acres of Regional Park land per 1,000 Lincoln residents. No set LOS goal is stated in the Plan since the size may vary depending on the feature or facility. In addition, Regional Parks may attract visitors from outside the immediate area and thus do not have a defined service area.
Community Parks are typically 30 to 50 acre sites that are readily accessible from arterial streets and the commuter/ recreational trail system. Community Parks may include play fields and play courts for organized sports, a playground with an accessible fall surface, facilities for day use activities including a picnic shelter and restroom, seating, walking paths, and off-street parking. They may also include a swimming pool and/or a recreation center. Community Parks often include areas left in a natural state with meadows, prairies, forest, wetlands and other natural features as part of
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Parks and Recreation's FUNctional Landscapes program. Community Parks often include activity areas consistent with those located in neighborhood parks and as a result, Community Parks may serve as the Neighborhood Park for surrounding residential areas. PlanForward recognizes the need for about 150 acres of new Community Park land. Three new Community Park sites are anticipated.
The level of service (LOS) goal for Community Parks is based on both the financial resources anticipated to be available for park development and programmatic objectives. It is anticipated that development of future Community Parks will be financed primarily through voter-approved methods including general obligation bonds and local option sales tax. There are currently 20 Community Parks encompassing roughly 976 acres, with an average size of 49 acres. The current citywide LOS is 3.5 acres of Community Park land per 1,000 Lincoln residents. This LOS is calculated by dividing the total acres in such parks by the city's total population in thousands. PlanForward establishes an LOS goal of 1.3 acres per 1,000 new Lincoln residents in new growth areas and a service area radius of approximately 2 miles in the urban area. Given the new Community Parks developed in growth areas, the city-wide measure by the end of the plan period, 2040, is projected to be 2.4 acres of Community Park land per 1,000 Lincoln residents. While this goal is lower than the current LOS, it recognizes the financial resources projected to be available, and plans for the development of three 50-acre sites during the planning period of a size that will meet the programmatic objectives for Community Parks. There are currently three undeveloped Community Park sites in three quadrants of the City with a need for a fourth site in the northwest quadrant. During the period of this plan, two of these sites will be developed and the fourth, northwest, site should be acquired.
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Neighborhood parks are centrally located within areas of residential development and intended to be accessible by no more than a ten-minute walk from residences within the neighborhood. Typical activity areas include playground equipment, open lawn areas for informal games and activities or play courts with a single basketball goal for informal games, shaded seating, and walking paths. When possible, neighborhood parks are co-located with elementary schools, a concept referred to as “Sparks”. Neighborhood parks that are associated with schools are typically 2 acres in size and located so that they can be accessed by students during the day and still easily accessible to the neighborhood when school is not in session. When parks are not located with schools, an area of about 4 acres is desirable to provide some of the open play area which is provided by school playfields in a “Spark”. In some cases, Neighborhood Park services are provided within larger Community Parks.
The level of service (LOS) goal for Neighborhood Parks is based on both the financial resources anticipated to be available for park development and on programmatic objectives. It is anticipated that development of Neighborhood Parks will be financed primarily through impact fees. It is important to note that while the cost for land and development of park facilities have grown since impact fees were first instituted, these fees have not increased to match inflation, creating a backlog of Neighborhood Park development.
Figure E5.c: Neighborhood Park Diagram
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Figure E5.d: Joint School and Park Site ("Sparks") Diagram
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There are currently 53 Neighborhood Parks encompassing roughly 404 acres, with an average size of 7.6 acres. The current citywide LOS is 1.5 acres of Neighborhood Park land per 1,000 Lincoln residents. This LOS is calculated by dividing the total acres in such parks by the city's total population in thousands. The Plan establishes a LOS goal of one acre per 1,000 new Lincoln residents in new growth areas. Neighborhood Parks should generally be located within the center of each mile section and be located within a ten-minute walk of each residence. Given the new Neighborhood Parks developed in growth areas, the city-wide measure by the end of the plan period, 2050, is projected to be 1.3 acres of Neighborhood Park land per 1,000 Lincoln residents. While this goal is slightly lower than the current LOS, it recognizes the financial resources projected to be available. Projected funding is based upon the current level of impact fees for Neighborhood Parks, which supports the acquisition and development of about four acres of Neighborhood Park land per square mile of residential development. Four acres are adequate to accommodate the programmatic objectives for a Neighborhood Park.
The following action step has been included in PlanForward to equitably provide for neighborhood park spaces across our community:
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Identify opportunities to acquire and develop Neighborhood Parks in established neighborhoods that are deficient in Neighborhood Park resources, particularly in those neighborhoods where indicators of vulnerability are higher.
The Parks and Recreation Department operates six neighborhood recreation and community centers offering youth development (before and after school programs, summer day camps), recreation, leisure interest, fitness and human services programs. Three of the facilities are co-located with schools (Belmont, Calvert, and Irving), and three are freestanding buildings (Air Park leased from the Airport Authority, Easterday, and F Street). The City facilities were constructed between the 1970's and early 2000's. Therapeutic and adaptive recreation programs are a primary emphasis of programming at Easterday Recreation Center. A new recreation center replacing the current Air Park Recreation Center facility is anticipated to be completed in 2023. This facility will be co-located with the Williams
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Branch Library and will be adjacent to Arnold Elementary School. A major update and expansion of the Easterday Recreation Center is also planned.
The programs and facilities offered by Parks and Recreation are part of a network of recreation and human service programs offered in the community. There are many other privately operated commercial fitness facilities, and facilities operated by non-profit organizations that offer a combination of fitness, recreation and human services programs (e.g., Lincoln YMCA facilities, Malone Community Center, Good Neighbor Center, Salvation Army, City Impact, El Centro de los Americas, Asian Community Center, Willard Community Center, Northeast Community Center, Lighthouse). Private fitness and wellness centers continue to develop and therefore no new recreation centers with an emphasis on fitness and wellness are anticipated in the planning period.
Community Learning Centers (CLCs) are a model for school facility-based delivery of neighborhood services that support youth development, strengthen families, and improve neighborhoods that emerged in Lincoln in the early 1990's. CLCs are operated by community partners in elementary, middle and high schools with high need student populations coordinated by the Lincoln Community Learning Centers initiative overseen by Lincoln Public Schools. The Parks and Recreation Department operates four CLC's (Belmont, Calvert, McPhee and Everett), and provides core youth services at Arnold CLC that is operated by the Lincoln Housing Authority. The City of Lincoln entered into an interlocal agreement with Lincoln Public Schools in 2018 to support and sustain CLC's as a best practice model of delivering neighborhood-based services at school facilities. It is anticipated that the CLC initiative will continue to expand over time to include additional schools and neighborhoods in the future. The City should work with Lincoln Public Schools to explore the addition of “activity area” space in new elementary and middle schools to support CLC programming.
Aquatic Facilities are developed to provide opportunities for water recreation activities. The City of Lincoln owns and manages ten Aquatic Facilities: nine outdoor public pools, and one free-standing sprayground in Trago Park. The most recently constructed outdoor swimming pools (Highlands Pool and University Place Pool) are designed as “pool in a park” facilities. These pools feature zero depth entry, interactive water features, and a deep well for diving activities. Four of these facilities are classified as Community Pools (Highlands, Star City Shores, University Place, and Woods) and five are classified as Neighborhood Pools (Air Park, Ballard, Belmont, Eden, and Irvingdale). The City should maintain its commitment to outdoor water recreation activities; however, if consideration is given to provide new neighborhood pools, a financial model needs to be in place to support their ongoing operations and maintenance. New Aquatic Facilities should be located and designed to serve quadrant areas of the community and should be readily accessible by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The current citywide LOS is 3.2 outdoor public pools per 100,000 Lincoln residents. The range of LOS for benchmark cities is 1.1 to 6.0 outdoor public pools per 100,000 residents, with an average LOS of 3.7 outdoor public pools per 100,000 residents. No new neighborhood pools are proposed during the planning period. Thus, the City is not intending to maintain the current LOS, but will continue to provide opportunities for aquatic recreation as described in the action steps found under the Aquatic Facilities policy.
Within Lancaster County, a wide variety of recreational opportunities are presented by both public and private sectors. Lincoln Parks and Recreation has facilities ranging from golf courses to wilderness trails, from horseshoe pits to skate parks, and from public gardens to dog runs. These park facilities serve a wide range of interests, ages, cultures and activity levels. Park facilities strive to reflect the ever-changing demographics of the community they
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serve. Parks also serve an important economic development role and can play a large part in the decisions made by businesses and individuals as they select a future home. As the community continues to grow and diversify, it is critical that the Parks and Recreation Department continue to work with various agencies, organizations and the community to evaluate recreational needs and desires and to partner with others to make sure the quality and variety of Lincoln and Lancaster County’s recreational facilities remains at the high level we currently enjoy.
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Continue to monitor local and national trends in recreation in order to provide recreational opportunities that reflect the needs and desires of the Lincoln community.
The following is a summary of public and private recreational facilities in Lincoln and the surrounding area.
Parks and Recreation Facilities:
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Lincoln Public Schools, various private and parochial schools, and other school districts in Lancaster County play a key role in the overall system of recreational facilities and services. Schools are focal points for surrounding neighborhoods. School playgrounds and facilities may be the most significant recreation resource at the neighborhood level.
Local colleges and universities also provide a wide range of participant activities and spectator sports available to both students and the community. Major sports, music, and entertainment programs often are held in facilities owned by colleges and universities.
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Private sector facilities:
There is a diverse range of facilities and programs available to community residents from privately operated fitness facilities to community centers offering human service programs operated by non-profit organizations. Programs and activities range from food distribution and adaptive recreation programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities to weight rooms and aerobics classes.
The YMCA, and other private organizations sponsor programs in swimming, athletics, arts and crafts, camping, and various club activities, and provide facilities for more casual recreational activities.
Some examples of private sector recreation facilities include bowling alleys, sport courts, soccer complexes, gyms, athletic clubs and fitness facilities and privately owned golf and miniature golf courses.
It is likely that there will be a generational shift in recreation interests and activities due in part to increasing experience with technology as a recreational activity. It is also likely that as Lincoln continues to diversify new recreational interests will be introduced to the community. The Parks and Recreation Department should monitor and be responsive to emerging interests and seek opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with user groups to support activities and to develop facilities. Current examples of emerging recreation activities include: Skate Parks, BMX Cycling, Cyclo-Cross, Mountain Biking, Geocaching, Adventure Racing, Pickle Ball, Foot Golf, Flying Disk Golf and Bike Parks.
While PlanForward recognizes parks, trails, and recreational areas as a separate, distinctive land use category, they are an important part of the overall county's natural resource base. They include a diverse collection of sites and facilities owned, managed, and maintained by public entities and accessible to the general community. They accommodate a variety of recreational uses including passive and active
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As the community continues to grow and diversify, it is critical that the Parks and Recreation Department continue to work with various agencies, organizations and the community to evaluate recreational needs and desires and to partner with others to make sure the quality and variety of Lincoln and Lancaster County’s recreational facilities remains at the high level we currently enjoy.
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recreation, hunting, fishing, and boating. Further discussion of specific greenways and corridors follows in this element.
The community has an existing system of multi-use trails that currently provides a trail within one mile of 95% of dwelling units in the City. The system serves users such as bicyclists, pedestrians, rollerbladers, and parents with strollers and wagons. The present system serves both commuter bicyclists and pedestrians who use the trails daily for work and shopping trips and tend to travel from point to point, and recreational bicyclists and pedestrians who tend to use the trails on a more occasional basis, seeking attractive and safe routes.
Much of the current trail system is built in the right-of-way of abandoned railroad corridors. Others are built along streams in the floodplain, along one side of major arterial streets, or as part of residential development. Maintenance of the system includes litter pick-up, mowing, trail clearing, and signage. The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department, and the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District are primarily responsible for trail development in Lancaster County. Lincoln Parks and Recreation, along with Lincoln Transportation & Utilities, maintain trails in the City and all of Wilderness Park while the Lower Platte South NRD maintains County trails. Volunteer organizations also assist in maintenance as well as donating significant funds for trail development.
Most of the existing trail system has been built over the last 40 years and some of the oldest trails are beginning to require rehabilitation, either because of declining pavement condition or because use has risen to a level that a wider trail is required.
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Since the first City/County Comprehensive Plan in 1961, the Salt Creek watershed has influenced planning for open space, greenways, recreation, and environmental resources in Lincoln and Lancaster County. The Salt Valley Greenway wraps around the City of Lincoln and is fed by tributaries that radiate out into the surrounding rolling hills. The effect is that of a large loop, primarily made of Salt Creek and Stevens Creek, with connecting green corridors linking urban and rural areas. Corridors which generally follow Salt Creek and its tributaries provide multiple benefits; creating connections between urban and rural areas, providing connections to the County’s Salt Valley Lakes, creating green partitions which help to prevent a “wall-to-wall” urban feel, connecting habitat for the movement of wildlife, protecting floodplain, and many others. Implementation of the Salt Valley Greenway and connecting corridor concept will provide an environmental framework upon which a thriving economy can be built.
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Figure E5.e: Greenway Linkages
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The Salt Valley Greenway includes the previously identified “Crescent Green” linear greenway along Salt Creek beginning on the north and then proceeding along Salt Creek on the west, including Wilderness Park. At 1,472 acres, Wilderness Park, located in southwest Lincoln, is the City’s largest park. As its name implies, the park is a natural area that straddles the Salt Creek floodplain and stretches from Van Dorn Street on the north to Saltillo Road on the South. The Park was established to serve as flood storage for Salt Creek and as a unique park experience for residents and visitors to Lincoln. The Park also serves as a conservation area and is home to many species of plants and animals. The Greenway follows the Salt Creek floodplain south of Wilderness Park, connecting with the community of Roca and continuing south to the city of Hickman. From Hickman, the corridor proceeds east to Wagon Train Lake tributary and follows the linear open space along the planned South Beltway east before turning north along the Stevens Creek floodplain. At the north end, the Greenway connects back in with Salt Creek including saline wetlands, Salt Creek tiger beetle habitat and the Crescent Green Corridor on the north, forming a continuous open space system.
The Salt Valley Greenway is important for recreation, transportation, environmental resource preservation, education, and economic development among other benefits. The opportunity to tie together multiple environmental and recreational resources would create a facility that is unique in the region and could be a platform for multiple community events attracting visitors from all over the region.
The Salt Valley Greenway would provide connectivity with current and future green corridors that extend out from Lincoln such as the MoPac Trail corridor, Murdock Trail corridor, Antelope Valley, Dietrich Bikeway, and Billy Wolff Trail Corridor. It would provide a destination for additional trails as Lincoln continues to grow. The Greenway would also provide access to green corridors that then would extend out into the county to State Recreation Areas (SRA) and natural resource areas and beyond including the following:
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Oak Creek corridor to Branched Oak Lake and Nine Mile Prairie
Salt Creek corridor east and up the Little Salt Creek and Rock Creek corridor
The Salt Valley Greenway would provide connectivity with the Homestead Trail that goes to Beatrice and south to Kansas. It would connect with additional rail lines that are acquired for trails in the future.
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Although Lincoln and Lancaster County is a part of the tallgrass prairie ecoregion, European settlement, which included the suppression of historic wildfires, led to the proliferation of trees, particularly along waterways. As Lincoln and surrounding villages began to grow, trees were planted to provide shade, firewood, building material, food, and to beautify neighborhoods and common spaces. This Urban Forest represents a significant community investment, both public and private. Although not technically part of the natural environment, the environmental benefits are far-reaching and highly important to the community.
The Urban Forest is composed of privately owned trees and the Community Forest, made up of trees in public right-of-way and on public land, such as parks and open spaces. Many of the trees have been deliberately planted, but some are volunteer trees from native stock or offspring of planted trees. Care for the Community Forest is a public obligation carried out primarily by the Parks and Recreation Department. Comprehensive and adaptive urban forestry management approaches should be applied to sustain the city’s urban forest; it is essential that adequate human and financial resources be allocated and specifically dedicated to sustaining our community’s expanding public green infrastructure in conjunction with increasing development and population growth.
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A new action step was added that reflects the importance of street trees in all areas of our community:
Replacement of a damaged street tree is at the request of the property owner. Assess street tree coverage and provide assistance as needed to ensure consistent street tree canopies across all neighborhoods.
The Parks and Recreation Department has a long history of partnerships with Lancaster County, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, Lincoln Public Schools, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to protect natural resources and provide recreational opportunities. In the past several decades, partnerships with private organizations such as the Lincoln Parks Foundation; and the Audubon Society have developed to great community advantage. Additional partnerships focus on particular activities or events, such as the Lincoln Flying Disk Club, Friends of Wilderness Park, and Great Plains Trails Network.
A new land trust affiliated with Lincoln Parks Foundation is being established to collaborate with the City of Lincoln, the Lower Platte South NRD and other public and private partners to assist with acquisition of land and easements, outreach to landowners, fund development, and the consolidation of funding from grants and donations. The land trust will play a key role in the conservation and enhancement of natural resources and the implementation of the Salt Valley Greenway and connecting green corridors. The Parks and Recreation Department meets regularly with Lincoln Public Schools, Lincoln Libraries, the Lincoln YMCA, Lincoln and Lancaster County Planning Department, and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities to discuss opportunities for cooperative projects and ensure the timing of critical infrastructure projects is coordinated. In 2018, Community Learning Centers (CLCs) were formed through a partnership between the City, Lincoln Public Schools, and other agencies and organizations interested in promoting community-based learning outside the normal school day.
Some of these partnerships are formalized through short- or long-term agreements while others are less formal and more limited in scope. These partnerships broaden the resources available for important public projects and result in a better outcome. Partnerships can also foster a sense of community ownership and assure a more equitable
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outcome. Community partnerships are critical to developing a park, recreation, and open space system that fully serve the people of Lincoln and Lancaster County.
P26: Community Forestry Management
P27: Regional Parks and Tournament Facilities
P28: Community Parks
P29: Neighborhood Parks
P30: Recreation Centers / Community Learning Centers
P31: Aquatic Facilities
P32: Other Recreational Facilities and Activities
P33: Parks and Recreation Partnerships
G2: Complete Neighborhoods
G6: Healthy, Active, and Connected People
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This element describes principles and strategies intended to preserve and enhance the community’s unique character — its sense of place — through preservation of cultural and historic resources and focused attention to the quality of public and private development.
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The people of Lincoln and Lancaster County have transformed a rolling prairie into a fertile agricultural landscape, with significant tracts of native prairie and a dozen villages, towns, and small cities, surrounding a highly livable urban place. The jewel in this fine setting is the Nebraska State Capitol, one of America’s great buildings, which was designed and constructed to be seen and enjoyed from throughout the city and county. Together, the urban and the rural landscapes produce a distinctive place, offering a sense of identity to visitors and especially to residents. It is worthwhile to plan for, protect, and strengthen this character as the community grows and matures. All parts of PlanForward contribute to the attainment of this vision, but urban design and one of its components, historic preservation, relate most directly to guarding and enhancing the community’s physical image.
Urban design is the concept and practice of studying people’s experience of their physical environment—both visual and functional—then consciously striving to improve that experience. It is essential both to preserve and enhance key existing elements and to create improvements that mesh with and strengthen a distinctive and enjoyable place. When successful, urban design and historic preservation make a community more enjoyable for residents, more attractive to visitors, and more competitive in drawing new businesses and retaining existing ones. A truly sustainable community recognizes and builds on its heritage by fostering good urban design, creating a sense of place and uniqueness that supports a strong economy, values environmental assets, and promotes social engagement and interaction. Successful urban design requires cooperation of public and private sectors.
Enhancing a community’s environment begins with understanding it. Before all else, Lancaster County was and is the land—rolling prairie, crisscrossed by streams, enriched by wetlands, green in the spring and summer, golden, tan, and russet in the fall and winter. We and our ancestors have largely transformed this prairie land through agriculture and city-building, but the seasonal cycle still strongly shapes us. Past policies and practices discouraging urban sprawl, maintaining a clear edge between urban and rural land uses, and preserving natural features and prime agricultural land have done much to establish the distinctive and attractive built environment of our community.
Upon the prairie, the original designers and developers of Lincoln laid out a grid of streets, alleys, and blocks, from A Street on the south to U Street on the north, and from 1st Street on the west to 17th Street on the east. The gently rolling terrain accommodated this grid, creating a framework for a city which was readily comprehensible and expandable. The suburban towns founded east of the city in the 1880s and ‘90s aligned their grids with Lincoln, facilitating their integration into Lincoln a few decades later. Much of the Original Plat remains evident, giving form to the center of the city through such major features as the Capitol location, the core of University of Nebraska Lincoln’s downtown campus, the County/City Building location, three sites used by Lincoln Public Schools, and
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Cooper Park. Especially wide rights-of-way provide vistas to the Capitol and campus. Throughout Downtown and the Haymarket, the range of possibilities within the ample, “ordinary” 100-foot rights-of-way is demonstrated by the loading docks, sidewalk cafes, public art, landscaping, and Farmers Market, along with vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation.
Most of Lincoln’s early expansion simply extended the grid. By the early 20th century, the best developments were more varied in their response to the topography, developing curving streets and boulevards while maintaining ample, comprehensible connections to the grid of arterial streets.
A unique urban design asset of Lincoln and Lancaster County, providing orientation and identity throughout the community, is our remarkable State Capitol. The 400-foot tower was planned and built as the key historic, architectural, and geographic landmark of the city and surrounding countryside. From distant vistas along Interstate 80 to intimate glimpses from core neighborhoods, views of the Capitol enrich and unify this place. Many of the best elements of Lincoln’s built environment are based on Capitol views—the Malls, the tree-framed vistas from Pioneers Park, and the homeowners’ park in Woodsshire Historic District. Protecting key vistas that provide important public views to the Capitol, along with identification and enhancement of new view corridors as the community grows, are important urban design strategies of this plan.
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The Capitol View Corridors, as illustrated in Figure E6.a, represent key view corridors within Lancaster County where extra attention should be paid during the planning and design process to ensure that views to the Capitol are being preserved and enhanced as development and redevelopment occurs.
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Figure E6.a: Capitol View Corridors
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Other important resources for providing community identity and orientation are entryway corridors, parks, trails, and open spaces. Key entryways provide indelible “first impressions” of a community. The community’s strong network of trails offers recreation and transportation alternatives, knitting together established and new neighborhoods. Parks provide neighborhood centers and community gathering places, and along with public street trees are major components of our urban forest, providing shade, beauty, and habitat.
Lincoln and Lancaster County’s Entryway Corridors, as shown in Figure E6.b, have been categorized as primary and secondary entryways. The primary entryways are the corridors identified on this map that are most responsible for managing traffic into Lincoln. As such, their functionality and visual aesthetics go a long way in defining visitors’ impression of the community. The secondary entryways carry less traffic but are still vital to perceptions and should be treated as such. For both the primary and secondary entryway corridors, there are key points along their routes where views toward the Capitol are particularly strong and should be preserved. Those view points are identified on Figure E6.b with a star.
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Figure E6.b: Entryway Corridors
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The public and private sectors, often working in direct partnership, are both essential to an attractive, livable, competitive built environment. Lincoln’s Original Plat of 1867, designed by state officials, established a framework for a successful city. Attractive public and private buildings, city purchases and private donations of park land and of public art, street trees and private gardens, all contribute to urban character.
Many of the principles of this section already are expressed in the community’s practices. The Historic Preservation Commission and the Nebraska Capitol Environs Commission advocate for and protect key resources of our heritage, in cooperation with property owners, the community’s design professionals, and other interested citizens.
The Historic Preservation Commission works with neighborhood groups, preservation advocates, property owners, and the State Historical Society to discover, protect, and share the community’s heritage. The zoning code provides protection for designated historic property and incentives for creative uses that maintain the vitality of historic places. The Commission has a key role in providing on-going guidance in the revitalization of areas such as Haymarket, residential historic districts, and Havelock Avenue.
The Capitol Environs Commission is a unique board combining membership appointed by the City and by the State, empowered to protect and to advocate for improvements to the setting of the beautiful Nebraska State Capitol. All public and private property within the Capitol Environs District receives the Commission’s design oversight, along with key view corridors to the Capitol which enhance the whole community.
The Urban Design Committee (UDC) provides advisory services to city government on the design of city-owned buildings and other public projects, major public/private developments, and any private projects constructed on city right-of-way or other city property. The Committee’s intent is to make sure that new public facilities are exemplary – that they provide functional and aesthetically pleasing facilities for the public, and model good design for the private sector. The benefits of this guidance would be strengthened by including all public projects under UDC review, just as the Environs Commission reviews projects of all local and state governmental units. The Committee also works to publicize and reward good design, private as well as public, through an annual awards program. Certain high-impact projects may involve historic properties and public property or public assistance, and the expertise and advice of more than one design board may be valuable. At the discretion of the City, joint meetings may occasionally be scheduled so that the boards, the project, and ultimately the community may benefit by a thorough yet efficient discussion.
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Figure E6.c: Historic & Capitol Environs District
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PlanForward 2050
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All three of these design boards assist in the process of siting wireless communication antennae and towers within their various jurisdictions. The community values efficient and effective telecommunications while also desiring to minimize adverse impacts of this rapidly evolving infrastructure on our rural and urban environments. Capitol view corridors, historic landmarks and districts, environmentally sensitive areas, and predominantly residential neighborhoods are not preferred locations. Unobtrusive locations on public property; co-locations on existing towers, buildings, and structures; and commercial and industrial areas with minimal impact on residences are preferred.
The City has adopted zoning provisions to state the community’s preferences. Combined with guidance from the design review boards, community residents and the telecommunications industry can be well-served.
The community has also expressed its interest in good urban design through the Neighborhood Design Standards for infill development in older residential neighborhoods and the Lincoln Downtown Design Standards for the community’s center. However, the appearance of other commercial areas and new residential areas is guided by few public design standards, although private design covenants in some areas are far more stringent than any public requirements. Good urban design includes an attractive streetscape, pedestrian access and comfort, and orientation of buildings, yards, and parking to create a pleasant transition between public and private space. Over the planning period, additional design standards should be developed to address the gaps in coverage that exist and to fulfill these principles of good urban design.
When developments ignore these elements, our community is weakened. The Complete Neighborhoods & Housing Element describes the community’s expectations for new residential development. The emphasis in PlanForward on mixed-use redevelopment in established commercial centers and corridors necessitates adoption of clear design standards and a predictable process to protect existing and new investors—commercial and residential—in those areas. The Infill and Redevelopment Element discusses how mixed use redevelopment, including residences, can meet important community needs as Lincoln grows and ages.
P5: Downtown
P34: Urban Design Standards
P35: Entry Corridors
P36: Public Art
P37: Historic Preservation
P38: State Capitol
P39: Community Space
G12: History and Culture
G13: Community Appearance
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This element reviews the projected status of community facilities during the planning period, including libraries, fire services, law enforcement, health care, schools, and public buildings.
This element reviews the projected status of community facilities during the planning period, including libraries, fire services, law enforcement, health care, schools, and public buildings.
The availability and service levels of community facilities affect the quality of life in the City and County, and as the community grows, community facilities should be prepared to adapt to change. This element and associated policies take into consideration an increasing population, changing demographics, and evolving technology in planning high-quality and efficient delivery of services. The importance of collaboration and sharing resources among agencies to realize the greatest benefit to the community is also emphasized.
Overall, community facilities should:
Lincoln City Libraries currently operates nine facilities. Bennett Martin Library downtown serves as the headquarters. Larger quadrant libraries are Victor E. Anderson, Charles H. Gere, Loren Corey Eiseley, and Bess D. Walt. Neighborhood Libraries include Bethany, South, and Dan A Williams. A bookmobile serves outreach sites in Lincoln and county towns. The Library is a City department that provides service to Lancaster County residents outside the City through a contractual arrangement.
Library services, similar to many other public services, must be provided regardless of how the community grows. In 2002, the library completed its “quadrant” plan, with a significant library facility in each of the city’s quadrants. The library is initiating the planning process for additional branches. A placeholder site has been designated in Jensen
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During development of PlanForward, an Equity Subcommittee convened to review existing and proposed policies to address any potential inequities. The subcommittee encouraged additional community resources be devoted for those at risk and/or marginalized communities. Some recommended community visioning items lead to broad agreement and are included in PlanForward; however, other community visioning items require further public input and community discussion before being adopted as goals or policies. See the Equity Subcommittee summary document in Appendix X for more information.
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Park near 84th and Yankee Hill Road. The library will be exploring potential sites along its eastern boundaries as the city grows in that direction.
For some time, the library has been planning for a new Central Library downtown. The Downtown Master Plan has identified the importance of maintaining this presence downtown. Downtown is the heart of our community, and multifaceted uses are essential to maintaining its vitality.
As public libraries in Lincoln and nationally update their services, certain trends have emerged. With increased use of downloadable books, libraries designate less space for books and create more space for uses such as Maker Spaces, technology, family library use, and general conference spaces that support everything from quiet study to large training sessions. Most libraries have a variety of collaborative partners, engaging in projects to ensure internet access, encourage people to read aloud to young children, and assist people with technology in its varied uses. Libraries are often described as community centers based on learning, literature, and literacy.
Providing internet access to the community broadens opportunities for education, job placement, and entertainment. This new action step increases access to more people in the community.
(Introduce) A program to circulate internet hot spots for those who do not have stable internet at home, with consideration also for access to reliable equipment and effective training.
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Lincoln Fire and Rescue anticipates the reconstruction (and possible relocation) of fire stations and the need for additional fire stations to serve the City’s projected expansion during the 30-year planning period. Lincoln Fire and Rescue routinely monitors response times, population growth, city growth, and call volumes in evaluating possible relocation and building new fire facilities. Changing development patterns, financial concerns, service expectations, availability of resources, environmental issues, traffic flow, or other conditions will warrant changes to provide effective emergency response. The utmost priority of Lincoln Fire and Rescue is the ability to provide the highest level of emergency service within the shortest period of time.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue currently operates from 16 stations located throughout the City. These stations are geographically located in the community to be able to meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA-1770) Standards concerning response times. However, Lincoln Fire and Rescue has repeatedly stated that maintaining desirable response times is becoming increasingly difficult in areas that have experienced urban growth further
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and further away from existing fire stations. Lincoln Fire and Rescue routinely reviews the strategic deployment of apparatus from existing stations and potential new station in growth areas of the City. Mutual aid requests for Lincoln Fire and Rescue service occur on occasion for incidents outside Lincoln. Lincoln Fire and Rescue's equipment is designed for use with a public water supply capable of generating 1,500 gallons of water per minute at a residual pressure of 50 pounds per square inch.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue provides emergency ambulance transport services in the City of Lincoln and most areas of Lancaster County. Most interfacility (hospital-to-hospital) non-emergency services are provided by the private sector.
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The 17 rural volunteer fire departments will continue to see increasing challenges with City growth and diminishing service area. All rural fire district personnel are volunteers. Rural fire districts can provide fire protection, rescue, and emergency ambulance transport. Fire departments are distributed throughout most of the towns and villages, while some are located in the unincorporated areas of the county. Mutual aid requests between fire districts are common for incidents outside Lincoln. Each rural fire district has unique challenges, including response times and water availability.
A growing population in the small towns, villages, and rural areas, as well as increased traffic, will continue to create demands for fire and emergency services. The physical growth of the City of Lincoln will cause changes to the character of some areas and to the tax base of many districts.
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Figure E7.b: Existing Fire Districts
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The Lincoln Police Department and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office are anticipated to remain as the sole providers of law enforcement services to the City and County during the planning period. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide contract law enforcement support to the various incorporated towns of the county. The overall increase in population in the City and County will increase the demand for police and sheriff services in the urban, small town, and rural areas.
The Hall of Justice and Law Enforcement Center accommodates both the operations of the Lincoln Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff within a single facility. This facility is an example of the cooperation exhibited by the City and County in furthering the efficient delivery of governmental services to the community. Another example of cooperation includes the recently constructed joint station with Lincoln Fire and Rescue funded through a ¼ cent sales tax. A radio system upgrade was also previously funded with a ¼ cent sales tax. The Lancaster County Department of Corrections opened a new Adult Detention Facility in 2013 near SW 40th and West O Street. The former jail was renovated and is used by various County offices.
In addition to the Lincoln Police Department and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Lincoln also has police presence by the University of Nebraska Police on the UNL campus as well as the State Patrol. The Capitol Security Division of the State Patrol Division monitors 48 buildings and eight parking facilities in the greater Lincoln area.
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Hospitals represent one of the highest and most important community service land uses. Lincoln has a growing number of medical campuses such as Bryan Health Systems, CHI St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Madonna Rehabilitation hospital, Veterans Medical Center, Lincoln Surgical Hospital and the CHI Nebraska Heart Institute. Urgent care services are also provided at several private facilities dispersed throughout the community. A number of private non-profit organizations provide targeted health services such as surgical centers, skilled care nursing long-term care, rehabilitation facilities, dental health, and specialized clinics to residents throughout Lincoln and Lancaster County.
Multiple public and private service sites around Lincoln serve mental health needs of persons in Lancaster County. Continued population increases in Lancaster County and southeast Nebraska have meant increased demand for mental health services.
The Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department also provides public health-related services to the residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County. Services operated by the Health Department include a dental clinic, STD clinic, refugee clinic, and targeted coordinating of back-to-school vaccinations.
New medical facilities have been constructed in many areas of the city. This trend is likely to continue into the immediate future as the demand for health care services increases as a result of the community’s growing and aging population.
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The Federally Qualified Health Center has located services in two Medically Underserved Areas and improved access to primary care, dental health care services and behavioral health care.
The Lincoln Public School (LPS) district provides pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education to roughly 40,000 students within the City of Lincoln and surrounding area. By 2023, the district will operate 40 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, eight high schools, and eight other alternative and special focus program sites. In addition to schools, LPS facilities include administrative, special education, food service, operations maintenance, athletic and activities facilities, and transportation centers.
The past twenty years have seen changes in the students enrolled at LPS. In 2000, about 14 percent of students were racially diverse; in 2020 this rose to over 35 percent, with students representing 50 different countries of origin. Economic changes are also affecting the school system. In 2000, 26 percent of students received free or reduced price lunches. That figure has risen to nearly 47 percent over the past twenty years. Over those twenty years LPS has seen an increase from 31,000 to over 41,000 students overall.
Lincoln Public Schools has made a substantial investment in renovating and improving existing schools throughout the Lincoln area. A $290 million school bond issue passed in 2020 allowing construction of two new high schools, a new elementary school, and enhancements to several existing facilities.
Lincoln Public Schools and the City of Lincoln actively coordinate planning activities. Projected growth of residential development is crucial information used to identify future school sites. As PlanForward’s growth framework was developed, LPS was consulted and informed at each step. This relationship is ongoing and expected to continue into the future. The Superintendents Facility Advisory Committee (SFAC) & the LPS 10-Year Facilities & Infrastructure Plan can be viewed on the LPS website at lps.org.
One relationship between city government and LPS that has particular potential for improving future efficiencies is the relationship between LPS and the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department. In some locations, such as Lefler Middle School and Piedmont Park, Humann Elementary and Cripple Creek Park, Fredstrom Elementary and Highlands Park, and Adams Elementary and Folsom Park, park and school facilities are already located on adjoining properties. Schoo Middle School, which also has an adjoining YMCA, is the site of a planned neighborhood park. Wysong Elementary, located between S. 56th and S. 70th Streets, north of Yankee Hill Road, includes a neighborhood park. Moore MIddle School is adjacent to Jensen Park and also includes a YMCA. There are opportunities to reduce costs for both parks, schools and the YMCA by sharing playgrounds, playfields and even using picnic shelters as outdoor classrooms. This relationship has not yet been formalized but shows great potential benefit for all organizations. There are currently over 20 school sites with adjacent parks.
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Figure E7.c: Joint School and Park Site
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Rural School Districts There are nine public rural school districts serving residents of Lancaster County. Several school facilities are located outside of Lancaster County. All of the remaining public school facilities are located within incorporated and unincorporated communities, except for the Norris Public School and Raymond Central Public School (Junior and Senior High).
Several school districts, most notably Waverly School district, will be impacted by expansion of the Lincoln city limits. The City, LPS and each school district impacted will need to coordinate efforts in the future.
Rural school districts also need to plan to accommodate areas designated for acreage residential development. Acreage residential areas provide additional tax revenue, but also create the need for more financial resources in order to provide additional transportation services and educational facilities. Grouping acreage residential areas in pre-designated locations allows rural school districts to plan for adequate transportation and educational services in advance of development.
Private and Parochial Schools There are approximately 26 private and parochial schools in Lincoln, serving over 6,000 students. There are four private and parochial high schools: Lincoln Christian, Lincoln Lutheran, Parkview Christian, and Pius X.
Additional private and parochial schools are anticipated during the planning period. The City should work with private entities to coordinate development and infrastructure plans around new school sites.
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Lincoln is home to a community college and several technical and trade schools providing a comprehensive array of higher education and vocational opportunities. These public and private facilities are dispersed throughout the community.
Lincoln has multiple institutions of higher learning, with campuses located throughout the city. These include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL campuses: Downtown and East), Nebraska Wesleyan University, Union College, Southeast Community College, Purdue University Global, and satellite campuses for Doane College and Bellevue University.
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Previous comprehensive plans did not include a section on early childhood care and education, so a new policy was developed and included in PlanForward.
P45. Early Childhood Care and Education: Evaluate methods to improve access to and quality of early childhood care and education experiences.
These colleges and universities are actively involved with surrounding neighborhoods and business districts. UNL has been a major partner in the Antelope Valley Project, the West Haymarket Arena development, and the Innovation Campus project on the former State Fair Park site. Wesleyan University was part of the North 48th Street/University Place project approved in 2004. Union College took a lead role in efforts to increase mobility and improve streetscapes in the South 48th Street College View neighborhood in 2007. These institutions and others should be actively engaged in future planning efforts.
As general purpose governments, the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County own, operate and manage numerous buildings, structures, and facilities.
During the time period covered by this Plan, there will likely be a need to construct, renovate, or abandon certain public buildings and facilities not already discussed in this document. At such time as these events may occur, care should be taken by public officials making decisions that the vision of this Plan is recognized and respected. This may apply to the siting of a new facility, the abandonment of an existing one, the way renovations are undertaken, the manner of financing used to complete the work, the arrangements made for the facility’s operation, the process followed in making the decision, and the timing of the action. When building a new facility or renovating an existing one, energy efficiency measures should be standardized in the decision-making process in order to achieve 100% net renewable/carbon neutral by 2035, as stated in the City of Lincoln Climate Action Plan.
Of particular note to local government operations is the Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Building Commission. The Public Building Commission is responsible for facilities jointly used by City and County agencies, such as the County-City Building. This entity was established in 1991 to oversee any buildings, structures, or facilities used jointly by the City and County for a public purpose.
The new Municipal Service Center is an example of consolidating City services to find efficiencies. The Center houses the Engineering Services and Watershed Management divisions of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities and has potential to accommodate divisions or operations of other departments. Lincoln and Lancaster County is a community made up of public-private partnerships that make our community stronger. Such public-private partnerships include but are not limited to YMCAs, the Lincoln Children’s Museum and the Lincoln Children’s Zoo.
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P40: Libraries
P41: Fire and Rescue
P42: Law Enforcement
P43: Health Care Access
P44: Education
P46: Public Buildings
G10: Effective Government
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This Element examines energy and individual utilities including water, wastewater, watershed management, solid waste, electric services, information technology, and natural gas service.
Energy use, supply and conservation are topics of global as well as local concern. This element includes an assessment of energy use, evaluates the utilization of renewable energy sources, and describes efforts to conserve energy in the community. The relationship between land use patterns and energy consumption has been widely researched and is a topic of national conversation. As Lincoln and Lancaster County continue to plan for the future, the need to consider the impacts of energy supply and demand is increasing in importance.
The provision of other basic services (such as water, wastewater, and electricity) is also discussed in this element. The need to plan for the extension of these services to new growth areas is one of the primary reasons for comprehensive planning. Lincoln has a history and policy of providing utilities only to those areas that have been annexed into the City. Lincoln wastewater collection systems operate on a gravity flow principle and so are planned to extend along the natural drainage of the land, or drainage basins. These growth policies have served Lincoln well in that it has retained a clear differentiation between urban and rural areas and has been able to resist sprawl to a greater degree than many other communities. The efficient extension of utilities will continue to be a major factor in land use planning.
The City of Lincoln Climate Action Plan has come about from an understanding of the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to slow the pace of climate change and protect Lincoln residents’ way of life. It is a vision for what the city of Lincoln could become over the next 30 years. It is a vision of a city that is thriving with local businesses and verdant greenways; a city that uses both ordinary and innovative measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transportation, electricity and buildings; a city that is inclusive, welcoming and fair. The energy element and various policies and action steps within PlanForward have been updated to reflect the recommendations from the City of Lincoln Climate Action Plan.
The Lincoln Climate Action Plan offers a bold and ambitious vision to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, and represents the first plan of its kind in the state of Nebraska. A myriad of strategies in the plan speak to achieving this target, from increasing energy efficiency, generating more electricity from renewable energy, switching to electric vehicles and active commuting modes, and employing natural climate solutions. To develop and advance the Plan, the City worked closely with community partners such as the Lincoln Electric System, which set a complementary goal to achieve net zero carbon dioxide production from its power generation portfolio by 2040. Moreover, the Plan sets a course for securing a second source of water supply for Lincoln as well as for mitigating flood impacts in the Salt Creek Watershed Basin to ensure that Lincoln is resilient to climate change. The Lincoln Climate Action Plan required considerable coalition-building and robust
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multi-sector partnerships and successfully achieved bipartisan support and adoption by the Lincoln City Council in March 2021.
Additionally, the plan identified eight action areas to focus prioritization and implementation efforts around, including: 1) transition to low-carbon energy; 2) build a decarbonized and efficient transportation system; 3) align economic development goals with climate realities to ensure a thriving economy; 4) improve protections for and with Lincoln residents; 5) build a resilient local food system; 6) maximize natural climate solutions; 7) reduce waste; and 8) engage residents in co-creating a climate smart future. The Lincoln Climate Action Plan is a roadmap for Lincoln to adapt to a changing reality while continuing to thrive as a community.
The City of Lincoln recognizes that the transition to a climate-smart, low-carbon way of life is well underway. Today, solar and wind provide the least expensive sources of new electricity in two-thirds of the world. Natural gas and coal generating plants are being replaced with less expensive electricity from wind and solar farms, which are connected to ever-more affordable and reliable battery storage. The fastest growing occupation in the United States is solar installers, and the second fastest growing job is wind turbine service technicians. It is clear that historic change is occurring, and that the time is ripe for Lincoln to take great strides toward a climate-smart future.
The Lincoln Electric System Administrative Board established a new decarbonization goal of net-zero carbon dioxide production from its generation portfolio by 2040. LES has already reduced carbon dioxide emissions from its generation portfolio by 53% from 2010 – 2020. The Board recognizes the critical role that electricity generation has in achieving the citywide goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050, while also maintaining high levels of electric system reliability and affordable retail electric rates to every customer in the area. Moving forward, LES will continue evaluating technological and financial opportunities that transition power generation to net zero carbon dioxide production by 2040.
To remain competitive as the global economy expands and puts greater strain on traditional fuel supplies, energy costs rise, and supplies remain unpredictable, Lincoln must develop a comprehensive strategy of fuel diversity and encourage conservation, alternative forms of energy, and modern energy technologies.
The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County are making substantial efforts toward sustainable energy reform. The City will soon have an energy strategy for City government and also intends to develop recommendations for residential energy conservation. In addition, the City has funded municipal lighting upgrades, energy saving improvements for residential buildings and non-profit facilities, clean energy production and green building practices. Lincoln Electric System also provides energy rebates for investments in energy-saving devices through their Sustainable Energy Program.
Using energy more effectively through more efficient end-uses or through more productive generation, such as combined heat and power, reduces the amount of fuel required to produce a unit of energy output and reduces the corresponding emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Energy from renewable resources such as solar, geothermal, and wind technologies generally does not contribute to climate change or local air pollution and generally conserves nonrenewable, natural resources.
As an example of a renewable energy project, in 2016 the City of Lincoln was awarded match funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) to install 10 dual – point electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to be placed in the City’s public parking garages. The charging stations track usage and calculate dollars saved by the vehicle owner along with greenhouse gas emissions avoided through use of an EV.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) legislation has been passed by the State of Nebraska and is now available to communities across the state. PACE financing enables businesses and homeowners to fund energy
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efficiency upgrades and renewable generation through a property tax assessment, similar to a street repair or other improvement. The City of Lincoln is evaluating how best to implement a PACE program which would be in the best interest of homeowners and businesses.
The City is also using Energy Savings Performance Contractors (ESPCs) to design, procure and construct energy and utility conservation measures for municipal buildings and utility operations. Projects executed under the ESPC model are intended to be financed by the energy and utility savings generated as a result of the facility or operational improvements. ESPC contracting has been successfully utilized across the country by federal, state and municipal operations to pay for critical infrastructure improvements for close to 30 years.
Municipalities across the country are increasingly converting streetlight systems to Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology in efforts to improve energy efficiency and other safety and aesthetic factors. The City’s design standards for municipal lighting were modified in 2016 to require all new and replacement streetlights to meet minimum efficiency ratings of LED technology. A system-wide LED streetlight conversion project was begun and completed in 2018-2019.
Other projects and initiatives with the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions include:
In 2010, the Nebraska Legislature passed legislation requiring cities and counties in Nebraska to assess, evaluate, and promote renewable energy sources and energy conservation measures as part of their Comprehensive Plan updates. Energy affects many aspects of land use, and as the population continues to increase over the next 30 years, so will energy consumption and the need for renewable resources.
Like many other communities, it is a challenge for the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County to obtain data that can be put into a meaningful model to use in setting goals and comparing our community with others. During development of PlanForward, the City has assessed energy infrastructure and energy use by sector, including residential, commercial, and industrial sectors at the local level (government is included within the commercial sector). The data does not include lifecycle consumption, or energy that is used to generate the end use energy product. Thus, the following data provides a snapshot of energy being consumed at the point of use and does not factor in energy such as coal that is used to produce the electricity that powers our homes and businesses.
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State level data is published in an Annual State Energy Report by the State of Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy that identifies energy trends and needs by sector. The 2020 report notes that Nebraska's total energy consumption in 2018 was 915 trillion British thermal units (Btu), an increase of 38.5 trillion Btu – or 4.4% - from 2017 to 2018. For reference, Nebraska's total energy consumption in 2013 was 872 trillion British thermal units (Btus), an increase of 21 trillion Btus - or 1.5% increase from 2012 to 2013. Five types of energy sources comprised the energy that Nebraska consumed in 2018, and Nebraska’s energy use by sector in 2018 are shown in the graphs below.
Figure E8.a: Nebraska's Energy Use by Type
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■ Coal ■ Petroleum (and products)
■ Natural Gas ■ Renewable Energy
■ Nuclear Power
Figure E8.b: Nebraska's Energy Use by Sector
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■ Industrial ■ Transportation ■ Commercial ■ Residential
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The statewide data for the Industrial sector includes Agriculture, which is Nebraska's number one industry. By comparison with Lincoln, the statewide industrial sector consumes a much larger percentage of energy because of this.
The energy use totals that follow reflect a combination of Black Hills Energy gas use and LES electrical use (converted from kWh to MMBtu) for the City of Lincoln only. Energy use fluctuates year over year based on heating and cooling needs, community growth, and more efficient systems.
Figure E8.c: Lincoln's Energy Use by Sector
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As shown in the chart, the Residential sector had the largest energy use in 2020 at 51%, followed by the Commercial sector at 43% and the Industrial sector at 6%. Year over year trends have gone up and down, and overall energy use in 2020 is roughly the same as was in 2015 and 2016.
Potable water is provided to Lincoln residents and businesses by the Lincoln Water System (LWS). The System is owned by the City of Lincoln and managed by the City’s Transportation and Utilities Department under the direction of the Mayor and City Council. It is a revenue producing and self-supporting enterprise fund system (i.e., no tax funds are used by the system).
Lincoln’s source of water is groundwater recharged from the Platte River northeast of Lincoln. Lincoln has 44 wells that pump this groundwater to two water treatment plants. Lincoln Water System processes the groundwater prior to its transmission to Lincoln for distribution.
The distribution system is divided into six pressure zones. Each zone has a system of storage facilities and pumping stations that keep operating pressures in the 35-100 pounds per square inch (PSI) range. Because pressure for the system relies upon elevation, reservoirs and pump stations are often located outside the respective service area, and in some cases outside of the City.
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The existing water system is made up of more than 1,245 miles of water distribution mains. Pipes providing service to customers range in size from 4” to 16” in diameter and total 1,100 miles. There are also 145 miles of transmission and transfer mains which range from 24” to 60” in diameter.
The water distribution system contains approximately 27,500 valves for the isolation of water main breaks to minimize the number of customers out of service. Approximately 12,000 public hydrants in the distribution system provide for the fire protection needs of the City.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department completed the Lincoln Water System Facilities Master Plan in 2013 and completed an update in 2020. The plans are guides for short term and long term improvements to the infrastructure of the Lincoln Water System during the planning period.
The Lincoln Water System Facilities Master Plan was adopted as a subarea plan in 2014. The projected maximum day water demand for year 2040 is 115 million gallons per day (MGD), and for 2060 is 143 MGD based on the assumed population growth rate. Maximum day water demands include adjustments for increased industrial water use. The 2020 Facilities Master Plan update also adjusted future seasonal peak water demands to account for predicted climate changes that are expected to increase summer water use through the planning period. Additional supply, treatment, and transmission improvements will be necessary to meet these growing demands.
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The well fields currently owned by the Lincoln Water System have a projected maximum capacity approximately equal to the projected need by 2040 to 2050. An additional source of water that could include an interconnection with Metropolitan Utility District of Omaha or developing an new source of supply will need to be acquired in the planning period to meet these demands and a financial plan adopted to fund such a project. These options are outlined in the 2014 Water Facilites Master Plan. Developing a strategy for securing a second source of water supply is also part of Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan. As with demand projections, the 2020 Facilities Master Plan update also adjusted available water supply to account for climate change by using reduced summer streamflows in the later years of the planning period.
Lincoln’s drinking water currently meets all of the State and Federal regulations regarding water quality. As new drinking water regulations are implemented, additional treatment may be required. LWS strives for environmental stewardship in all aspects of its operations.
LWS actively promotes water conservation to customers and works to conserve energy in system operations. Operators continually work toward the best balance between system energy needs and the variable rate schedules provided by both Lincoln Electric System and Omaha Public Power District.
Residential water bills are determined by an increasing block structure. The more water the resident uses, the higher the price per unit of water. Traditionally, residential water use has been a major cause of fluctuations between low winter and high summer use. The price structure’s intent is to encourage water conservation and the water rates are competitive with local and regional cities. In the event that water restrictions are necessary whether from drought or natural disasters, the Water Management Plan is used to guide and govern restrictions that include implementing Water Shortage Rates.
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Figure E8.d: Existing and Future City of Lincoln Water Pressure Zones
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*Note: Water pressure zone boundary updates to align with the 2050 Future Service Limit will be updated with the next Water Facilities Master Plan.
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Water service to rural Lancaster County residents is obtained through private water systems (i.e., private wells), rural water districts, or Sanitary Improvement Districts (SIDs). The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department enforces standards on wells within the city limits and three-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction. In addition, the Property Transfer Code enforces standards on wells throughout the county which serve private residences. These standards are applied when ownership changes through the sale of property. The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District is maintaining a Groundwater Management Plan for the County to ensure the protection of this resource.
Two rural water districts supply potable water to Lancaster County residents; Lancaster Rural Water District No. 1 and Cass County Rural Water District No. 2. These rural associations include property owners adjacent to the City limits. There are three SID's providing water services to area residents: Emerald, Holland, and Walton.
Cities and villages in Lancaster County collect water from municipally owned wells. Some communities are provided water via contract from rural water districts. Limited well source and poor water quality in some areas contribute to reliance on rural water districts.
In April 1995, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District (LPSNRD) adopted a Groundwater Management Plan. This Plan describes steps for managing the area's groundwater to protect its future quality and quantity and has led to the designation by the LPSNRD of a Groundwater Management Area. This designation provides the District with the authority to regulate nonpoint sources in the urban and rural areas that might affect groundwater quality and quantity. The LPSNRD conducts an annual review assessing the District's actions, activities, and effectiveness under the Rules and Regulations for implementation of the Ground Water Management Plan.
The City of Lincoln Wastewater System is a publicly owned and operated system. The system is a revenue producing and self-supporting, enterprise fund system (i.e., no tax funds are used). The Department of Transportation and Utilities Wastewater Division manages the operation of the system.
In general, the wastewater collection system is a gravity flow system that is designed to accommodate urbanization of drainage basins. The existing system includes 16 lift stations to assist in pumping and conveying the wastewater in the collection system. The collection system currently serves 11 major drainage basins, with more than 1,128 miles of sanitary sewer pipes ranging in size from 8" to 90" in diameter. This system encourages orderly growth within the natural drainage basin boundaries.
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Figure E8.e: Existing and Future City of Lincoln Wastewater Improvements
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Note: Wastewater improvements to align with the 2050 Future Service Limit will be updated with the next Wastewater Master Plan.
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