Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Omaha Developer Sells “Walkable Main Street” of Parking Lots

This development in Omaha is being as a "walkable" "Main Street." Image: Lockwood Development via Strong Towns
This development in Omaha is being billed as a "Main Street." The white space is parking. Image: Lockwood Development via Strong Towns
false

As the downside of sprawling development becomes better understood, some developers are getting better at greenwashing sprawl.

Here's a pretty great example from Omaha, Nebraska. Charles Marohn at Strong Towns came across a story about Lockwood Development's new office park in the Omaha World-Herald. And he was so taken aback by the disparity between the rhetoric and the actual design, he had to write about it:

It uses all the current buzz words....

Mixed use. Redevelopment. Independent living. Walkable. Main Street.

Do those words mean anything? Sadly, Omaha's Sterling Ridge Development -- a so-called "Main Street" concept -- is not even a wolf in sheep's clothing. It is a wolf in wolves' clothing.

My favorite quote from the article, where words are simply objects with no real meaning, is this one: "The architects said the idea is for the multipurpose campus to be a walkable community where people work, live, play and worship."

How quaint.

Fortunately, Marohn says, World-Herald readers seem to see through the flowery language. "This is not a 'Main Street' scheme," wrote one. "It's an office park defined by vast stretches of surface parking."

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Wash Cycle shares a great new video explaining how protected bike lanes are changing the way people get around in American cities. Exit 133 reports the epic urban-planning battle between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses will be turned into an opera. And Bike Portland says a local animal shelter is refusing adoptions to folks who plan to bike their new pets home from the shelter.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Streetsies 2024: Vote For This Year’s Biggest Failures

Overall, it was a pretty sad year. But what was the city and state's worst failures? You get to vote!

December 26, 2024

Streetsies 2024: Vote for this Year’s Best Livable Streets Projects

This year had some bright spots for livable streets projects. Here are the ones that stood out.

December 26, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines: Christmukkah Edition

We took yesterday off to celebrate the many holidays and to see the new Bob Dylan movie. But there was lots of news.

December 26, 2024

On Christmas, Let’s Consider the Successes of the Livable Streets Movement

Here's a short, heartwarming film about the successes experienced this year by the livable streets movement.

December 25, 2024

And the Winners Are…: It’s Time for the 2024 Streetsie Awards!

Let's start our annual year in review series with a broad roundup of the heroes, scoundrels and debacles of 2024.

December 24, 2024
See all posts