Early City Planning in Omaha

Early City Planning in Omaha

City Planning efforts during the early 1900's in Omaha

City planning took off in Omaha and other metropolitan areas around the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. During this time, early city plans were largely focused on creating “new cities” through massive physical reconstruction, rather than focusing on city plans that would result in social reform. The push for city planning during the start of the early 1900’s was rather difficult in Omaha. During WW1, Omaha along with the rest of the country was faced with economic disparities, resulting in a city planning push from an elite group. It is essential to know the history behind the beginning of city planning in Omaha to understand the foundation that was laid for subsequent city plans and their effects (Daly, 2013).

In 1914, the businessmen began to pressure former mayor of Omaha, James Dalhman, to create a city planning commission. While the mayor approved of this bill, there was essentially no funding to back it and begin the city planning process in Omaha. So, they brought their city planning proposition to the Nebraska state legislature. They were able to gain the sympathy of two of Omaha’s five state senators at the time. The proposed bill entailed an emphasis for development funding on the westward expansion of Omaha, which at the time was just slightly west of the Dundee neighborhood. Both senators who supported the bill were wealthy and well educated real estate businessmen, and saw the possibility for new real estate development should the city planning efforts eventually happen (Daly, 2013).

Through continued lobbying efforts within the city and state legislature, the Omaha City Planning Commission finally opened on May 11, 1916. The commission was made up of wealthy local businessmen. Their budget largely came from businesses within the Omaha community who were willing to invest money, in addition to minimal government funding. While the establishment of the Omaha City Planning Commission was an important and essential stepping stone for city planning efforts, the first two years the majority of city planning funding went towards research and consulting with expert planners (Daly, 2013).

Once the Planning Commission finally received more funding in 1918, they were able to start actually implementing and acting upon the city plans. While the intended overarching stated goal of the Omaha Planning Commission was to control urban growth and development, the city plans during this time did not try to reach this goal by mean of improving upon the heart of the urban areas, such as downtown, north, and south Omaha, but rather control urban growth by developing new neighborhoods on new westward expanded land developments. For example, the city plan during 1919 called for improved trafficways from the central business district to the newly developing suburbs, which only wealthy white people commuted to and from. Also, this city plan made an emphasis on the aesthetics of new suburban neighborhoods by constructing and implementing new parks (Daly, 2013).

The Omaha Planning Commision received very little pushback from the Omaha community due to the fact that their budget was not primarily reliant on government funding, and the fact that there were other major headline issues during this time. I would argue that the City Planning Commision benefited off of existing racism in Omaha and discrimination against the African American community in order to pass their city planning initiatives. In 1919, just several days before the city plan was approved, a black man named Will Brown was lynched in downtown Omaha after being accused for raping a young white girl. This riot caused many racial tensions and riots within the city, allowing the city plan to go unnoticed (Daly, 2013).

The foundation of city planning efforts in Omaha did not address the actual growth and development of urban areas in which impoverished people of color resided. The vision of a city plan to develop Omaha reflected the views of a small group of elite businessmen, rather than addressing the needs for development and funding in downtown, north, and south Omaha. This trend manifests in future city plans, inevitability leading to segregation, inequality, and exposure to lead in Omaha (Daly, 2013).

City of Omaha

Red Wing Daily Republican

1919

Cate Begley

Photograph