North Omaha

PREFACE (by Christopher Alexander & Howard Davis)
Central to this plan, is the issue of black and white. Much of the substance of our Plan, simply has to do with the creation of a process by which the people of North Omaha can create a community for themselves, can establish a stable and improved community which is economically healthy.

In one sense this is an entirely nonracial issue, which simply has to do with the right of a group of people to determine their own future, their own community. But still at the same time, the community is one which has, at present, 95 percent black people, and lies within a context of larger Omaha, which is almost white. Because this is true the task we face is centrally plunged into the heart and soul of the ambiguous, painful struggle for identity and clarity, which has existed now for two hundred years, and which for black people in America, and for white people is still unresolved, still painful, still frightening, still provokes anxiety about the future, still only reaches a stable condition in some places for some of the time.


We feel it necessary, therefore, to address this issue head on, and to speak about it directly -even on the cost of seeming gauche or embarrassing — simply because it is the essential purpose of our plan, to help bring this condition, to a state of resolution — to create conditions in which both the black members of the community, and the white, and both, the white folks in the city roundabout, and the black, gradually achieve a sense of identity and clarity about this issue, through the process which develops in the self-determination of North Omaha.

North Omaha NOW

There exist a few centers spacial and economical disconnected with the surrounding area.

 

The economic IDEA

By improving step by step the economic structure, by keeping the money as long as possible within North Omaha a new identity will arise.

 
 

The GOAL

The goal is to establish a stable structure with its own self-determined identinity- spatial economical and social.

 
 
 

The network of special places, the centers and subcenters, they are the backbone of the community. Each center asa unique place, as a center of its neigborhood, makes up the fabric of the community.

All decisions are made on the base of the “North Omaha plan” which describes the democratic way how to improve the economic and spatial situation the “Plan” describes how a healthy growth of identity can be achieved.

 
 
 

The entire body of the plan requires that all development which takes place in the community, is always aimed at the proposed nine levels (or programs), so that gradually by following these programs the community can heal itself properly, and in a balanced way, at each of these nine levels, constantly.

1) Identity and economic strength of the community.

2) Connection and interdependence with the surrounding city.

3) Well-marked identifiable centers in the community.

4) Clear identity for individual neighborhoods.

5) Each neighborhood with its own centers and subcenters.

6) Connecting avenues between the centers.

7) All local areas with their own clear and separate identity.

8) The connection between individual buildings and their local areas.

9) Repair of individual buildings.

 

Step 1

The excisting structure with a few loose centers.

 
 
 

Step 2

Areas with a potential to become a center are turned into target area.

 
 
 

Step 3

A structure with new potential centers arises. they become the new target areas.

 
 
 

Step 4

More and more centers, as well as new potentials, are existing and arising.

 
 
 

An anonymous neighborhood after eight years of development.

 
 

PREFACE (by Christopher Alexander & Howard Davis)


Central to this plan, is the issue of black and white. Much of the substance of our Plan, simply has to do with the creation of a process by which the people of North Omaha can create a community for themselves, can establish a stable and improved community which is economically healthy.


In one sense this is an entirely nonracial issue, which simply has to do with the right of a group of people to determine their own future, their own community. But still at the same time, the community is one which has, at present, 95 percent black people, and lies within a context of larger Omaha, which is almost white. Because this is true the task we face is centrally plunged into the heart and soul of the ambiguous, painful struggle for identity and clarity, which has existed now for two hundred years, and which for black people in America, and for white people is still unresolved, still painful, still frightening, still provokes anxiety about the future, still only reaches a stable condition in some places for some of the time.


We feel it necessary, therefore, to address this issue head on, and to speak about it directly -even on the cost of seeming gauche or embarrassing -- simply because it is the essential purpose of our plan, to help bring this condition, to a state of resolution -- to create conditions in which both the black members of the community, and the white, and both, the white folks in the city roundabout, and the black, gradually achieve a sense of identity and clarity about this issue, through the process which develops in the self-determination of North Omaha.

North Omaha NOW


There exist a few centers spacial and economical disconnected with the surrounding area.

The economic IDEA


By improving step by step the economic structure, by keeping the money as long as possible within North Omaha a new identity will arise.

The GOAL


The goal is to establish a stable structure with its own self-determined identinity- spatial economical and social.

The network of special places, the centers and subcenters, they are the backbone of the community. Each center asa unique place, as a center of its neigborhood, makes up the fabric of the community.




All decisions are made on the base of the "North Omaha plan" which describes the democratic way how to improve the economic and spatial situation the "Plan" describes how a healthy growth of identity can be achieved.

Step 1


Find potential centers. Define them and their connections as target areas.

Step 2


Support all actions within the target areas which help to establish spatial and economic centers

Step 3


While establishing and repairing centers look for target areas.

The entire body of the plan requires that all development which takes place in the community, is always aimed at the proposed nine levels (or programs), so that gradually by following these programs the community can heal itself properly, and in a balanced way, at each of these nine levels, constantly.


1) Identity and economic strength of the community.

2) Connection and interdependence with the surrounding city.

3) Well-marked identifiable centers in the community.

4) Clear identity for individual neighborhoods.

5) Each neighborhood with its own centers and subcenters.

6) Connecting avenues between the centers.


7) All local areas with their own clear and separate identity.

8) The connection between individual buildings and their local areas.

9) Repair of individual buildings.

Step 1


The excisting structure with a few loose centers.

Step 2


Areas with a potential to become a center are turned into target area.

Step 3


A structure with new potential centers arises. they become the new target areas.

Step 4


More and more centers, as well as new potentials, are existing and arising.

An anonymous neighborhood after eight years of development.

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North Omaha