Walkable Superblocks

[Athomsfere]

Again, I agree with most of your thoughts.

I'd love to see the default zoning be light commercial, or even industrial (you can sew teddy bears, bake bread for local grocers etc.) with residential. No requirements on it, but if mom and dad want to build convenience store and live above it... Zero red tape. It's green lit automatically.

But this is where I have issues.

Some cities require X percent of units to be "affordable" pricing. This could be a strategy as well. For example, 40% of units must be below a certain price or size. They can build smaller units closer together and make it worth their while.

It's one of those "it makes sense" rules that tends to backfire.

A handful of studies have said exactly this:
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/201 ... le-housing

Or, on the same general conclusion but a different way to get there:
Luxury apartments (and condos) are good:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/04 ... opers.html

And since overall, this thread was about superblocks. I think looking at those examples is a good place to look too. Barcelona is leaning into public housing. I think that's a great place to be. Or public housing partnerships. We don't want to build NYC or Chicago projects again and concentrate / isolate the poorest among us. But if a developer wants to build 300 units for $20 million, it would be (IMO) a great move for Omaha to throw them a couple million to either buy out some units to be "affordable" or add another floor and have 1/x of the units as public housing.

[Garrett]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

[Louie]

|expletive| heck that’s brilliant.

[Athomsfere]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

Yes!

That's one of a handful of spots I think we should do something like that. Or foot traffic, bikes, and scooters only.

Do you think having the streetcar there makes this a more likely to win and work location?

[Garrett]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

Yes!

That's one of a handful of spots I think we should do something like that. Or foot traffic, bikes, and scooters only.

Do you think having the streetcar there makes this a more likely to win and work location?

Precisely. It’s already got several factors in its favor, from a strong local business presence to very few parking lots on the strip itself. On top of that, I think the city should work to minimize streetcar-traffic conflicts. Really I think there should be transit lanes from 10th street on both Harney and Farnam to where the streetcar reunites at Turner Blvd, and then this section from 36th to 40th.

[Athomsfere]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

Yes!

That's one of a handful of spots I think we should do something like that. Or foot traffic, bikes, and scooters only.

Do you think having the streetcar there makes this a more likely to win and work location?

Precisely. It’s already got several factors in its favor, from a strong local business presence to very few parking lots on the strip itself. On top of that, I think the city should work to minimize streetcar-traffic conflicts. Really I think there should be transit lanes from 10th street on both Harney and Farnam to where the streetcar reunites at Turner Blvd, and then this section from 36th to 40th.

The only business that I think would have a hard time would be the Dundee bank. But perhaps the city could grant them the funds to move their driveway stuff.

[zippy]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

Yes!

That's one of a handful of spots I think we should do something like that. Or foot traffic, bikes, and scooters only.

Do you think having the streetcar there makes this a more likely to win and work location?

Precisely. It’s already got several factors in its favor, from a strong local business presence to very few parking lots on the strip itself. On top of that, I think the city should work to minimize streetcar-traffic conflicts. Really I think there should be transit lanes from 10th street on both Harney and Farnam to where the streetcar reunites at Turner Blvd, and then this section from 36th to 40th.

The only business that I think would have a hard time would be the Dundee bank. But perhaps the city could grant them the funds to move their driveway stuff.

What about emergency traffic heading to the Med Center from the east? Does that use Dodge or Farnam?

[Athomsfere]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

Yes!

That's one of a handful of spots I think we should do something like that. Or foot traffic, bikes, and scooters only.

Do you think having the streetcar there makes this a more likely to win and work location?

Precisely. It’s already got several factors in its favor, from a strong local business presence to very few parking lots on the strip itself. On top of that, I think the city should work to minimize streetcar-traffic conflicts. Really I think there should be transit lanes from 10th street on both Harney and Farnam to where the streetcar reunites at Turner Blvd, and then this section from 36th to 40th.

The only business that I think would have a hard time would be the Dundee bank. But perhaps the city could grant them the funds to move their driveway stuff.

What about emergency traffic heading to the Med Center from the east? Does that use Dodge or Farnam?

When I lived in Blackstone, I think most would be on Leavenworth or Dodge.

Farnam I think would be the last choice. But someone might know from "inside" how the hospital actually works.

[Dusty]

Separate idea, but I'd love to see experiments with turning Farnam between 36th and 40th into a transitway. Allow only busses and the streetcar to run on it, otherwise expand the sidewalks and keep it pedestrian focused. Imagine what all of the businesses could do along that corridor with an ability to contribute to sidewalk life.

What about emergency traffic heading to the Med Center from the east? Does that use Dodge or Farnam?

This would basically be a car-free section. Closed off to privatized cars, but open to pedestrians, transit, and emergency vehicles. Delivery trucks would have designated hours to come to service those businesses inside the transitway.

My only concern is it would be disruptive to traffic flow to zig zag around it. As I posted in the streetcar thread, I wished they made the route jump over to Harney at 42nd. This would give us more options for street configurations on Farnan. I'm all for making the corridor transit, bike, and pedestrian focused. If you allow cars, they are treated like a guest. You might have access but must move a slower pace through the area.

[ita]

Which one of you posted this in the /omaha reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments ... _all_cars/

[Athomsfere]

Which one of you posted this in the /omaha reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments ... _all_cars/

Not I... This time

Two years ago though

[Dusty]

Which one of you posted this in the /omaha reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments ... _all_cars/

Why would you think it would be one of us? LOL! I have never been on reddit. Interesting site.

This goes to show you there are a lot of people out there have similar mindsets. Or we have a ton of secret admirers that read ours comments here and then blab on reddit.

[Renovator2559]

Since the pandemic, some major cities in America are instituting slow streets. Essentially, they are closing all or some of the roads in an area for pedestrian use. I heard about one example in Los Angeles concerning Degnan Boulevard, which is a major thoroughfare, on Marketplace. That is a partial closure, but it seems like a success in terms of people actually using the "new" public space.

I also recently read a few online articles on Vox (https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yYUPE1T ... block1.jpg) about Barcelona's superblocks plan. While we deride the term on this forum because it means no through streets in an otherwise square grid in urban, largely downtown Omaha, superblocks in Barcelona has a similar, but different meaning. It is a plan to stop through car traffic in a square consisting of nine city blocks (which is the ideal, though it can consist of less). Cars can still go into the grid, but are limited to 10 km/h (about 6 mph) and can only to looped around a city block when they enter. As such, only local traffic as access. The illustration of the general concept is this:



There are other details to how to make it work like underground garages and a certain density, but I like the concept and Barcelona has been implementing and expanding the strategy throughout the city.

I was thinking about Omaha's car-centric infrastructure and was wondering if something like Barcelona's superblock could be implemented here. An easy, well at least I think, example is Old Market. I still love the area, but when it's crowded, driving through or walking around can be stressful and downright dangerous. Additionally, everyone is trying to find that one parking spot within the district, even though there is a ton of parking on the outskirts or in a nearby garage. I think it would be interesting to close Howard, 11th, and 12th street to car traffic and make it public space between Harney and Jackson and 10th and 13th. A second superblock would be between Jackson and Leavenworth and 10th the 13th; close Jones St., 11th, and 12th to car traffic, incentivize redevelopment of the surface parking lot and build on the semi underground 10th and Jackson parking garage. Anyway, I am just streetballing and there are probably better areas to implement something like this. Let me know your thoughts, even if it's "you're crazy" or "that would never work here".

This idea solves many problems in the Old Market and would make it much more vibrant. I can only imagine all the selling stands that could occupy the streets. I can only imagine how more picturesque the Old Market would be without cars jammed packed in parking stalls.

[Dusty]

I had proposed the Old Market to go car-free (pedestrian zone) many times.

To whom? Government officials or developers?

A valid question. If you want car-free zones in the Old Market, I'd consider reaching out to various groups with power and talking to them about it. See if the city or maybe even the chamber of commerce would be willing to experiment with car free weekends, for example. I've been able to get ears to hear my ideas before, I'm sure you could too with a good proposal.

I never approached the city about it, but did a lot of public engagement. 10+ years ago, I ran a meet-up group and we did a lot of events downtown. I would always ask their experience getting there, what changes in downtown they would like to see, etc. I do believe the public is ready for car-free zone in the Old Market, even if it's for a few evening hours on the weekend.

I will start gathering some talking points for a proposal. I will see what I can do!

Update: I talked to the public works department. They said the Old Market is only allowed to be shut down for events. They viewed shutting down the entire Old Market to cars as a hard sell. They said I might be able to get one or two blocks similar to the Farmers Market, but was hesitant to anything more than that. Anything bigger would involve input from business and residents in that area.

I'm not giving up on the idea. It was obvious they don't get people asking about this very often. They were intrigued, but quick to stay in the boundaries of what the city has set for them to operate.

[TransitOriented]

I had proposed the Old Market to go car-free (pedestrian zone) many times.

To whom? Government officials or developers?

A valid question. If you want car-free zones in the Old Market, I'd consider reaching out to various groups with power and talking to them about it. See if the city or maybe even the chamber of commerce would be willing to experiment with car free weekends, for example. I've been able to get ears to hear my ideas before, I'm sure you could too with a good proposal.

I never approached the city about it, but did a lot of public engagement. 10+ years ago, I ran a meet-up group and we did a lot of events downtown. I would always ask their experience getting there, what changes in downtown they would like to see, etc. I do believe the public is ready for car-free zone in the Old Market, even if it's for a few evening hours on the weekend.

I will start gathering some talking points for a proposal. I will see what I can do!

Update: I talked to the public works department. They said the Old Market is only allowed to be shut down for events. They viewed shutting down the entire Old Market to cars as a hard sell. They said I might be able to get one or two blocks similar to the Farmers Market, but was hesitant to anything more than that. Anything bigger would involve input from business and residents in that area.

I'm not giving up on the idea. It was obvious they don't get people asking about this very often. They were intrigued, but quick to stay in the boundaries of what the city has set for them to operate.

Start talking with the owners of those businesses. Tell them the whole story.