The document announces a series of community visioning workshops hosted by Heartland 2050 across the Omaha metro region in October and November. The workshops will use scenario planning techniques like interactive mapping exercises to explore different futures for the region and allow community members to provide input to help create a shared regional vision. Participants will discuss options for growth, development, transportation and land use to guide long-term planning and decision making. The results from the workshops will be analyzed to develop alternative growth scenarios for the region.

1. CommunityVisioning Workshops
Heartland 2050 is hosting a series of exciting public
meetings across the region in October and
November to explore our future and learn fromyou.
To find the workshop nearest you,
visit the project website:
Heartland2050.org

2. Why create
a regional vision?

3. A Regional Vision for the Omaha Metro
A regional vision will
help the community
members and
decision makers
understand the long-
term consequences
of the choices they
make now and plan
better for the future

4. What is Scenario Planning?

5. What is Scenario Planning?
Goals of Scenario Planning
• Experiment with a range of strategies in the face of uncertainty
• Get the big issues on the table and prioritize them
• Down the road: align local actions with regional vision

6. What is Scenario Planning?
Traditional Approach
The Present The Future

7. What is Scenario Planning?
Scenario Approach:
Plausible stories about the future

8. Develop a Range of Scenarios
A B
C D
What is Scenario Planning?

9. Scenarios also allow us to mix-and-match
elements
What is Scenario Planning?
Scenarios also allow us to mix-and-match elements

10. What happens at the
workshop?

11. Typical Agenda – Evening event, 2-3 hours
• Welcome from MAPA staff or local leaders (10 min.)
• Intro Presentation (20 min.)
– The Omaha-Council Bluffs region today and tomorrow
– How your ideas help us in building scenarios
– Overview of tonight’s workshop activities
• Instant Polling (15 min.)
• Map Exercise (90 min.)
– Creative map-based design and visioning for the region
– Make choices and weigh trade-offs about the future
• Sharing ideas with group (30 min.)

12. Instant Polling
Warm-up Questions
What is your gender?
1 2 3
25%
50%
25%
1. Male
2. Female
3. Other

13. Instant Polling
Sample Questions: Shelter
3%
17%
6%
54%
20%
1. Yes, throughout the area
2. Yes, in commercial centers along transit corridors
3. No, it is not compatible
4. Maybe
5. I don’t know
Is mixed use housing a good fit for Sarpy County?

14. PROCESS:
Show us your vision of the future…
1. Decide where and where not to grow
2. Trade chips
3. Arrange chips on map
4. Draw in connections if needed
5. Present map to group
Map Exercise

16. Map Exercise
Starter
Chipset
Pens
Scissors
Workshop Map
Chip Bank
Chip Menu
Getting Familiar with the Materials

17. Map Exercise
Workshop Materials: Chip Examples
Employment Types Residential TypesMixed-Use Types

18. Map Exercise
The Chip Menu
Your guide to the development options

19. Map Exercise
Density options
Option C:
Higher Density
Option B:
Middle Density
Option A:
Lower Density

20. Mark areas important for protection and conservation:
• Open space, green corridors and conservation areas
• Historic districts and other significant areas
Map Exercise
Decide where NOT to grow

21. Map Exercise
Groups discuss strategies and place chips on maps

22. • Finalize the chip arrangement
• Make sure the chips on the map represent the group’s goals
• Pull backing off chips and stick to the map
Map Exercise
Arrange chips on the map

23. Map Exercise
Draw Transportation Infrastructure
Bicycle & Pedestrian Networks
Transit
Roadways & Highways
Especially in areas you
expect to have new jobs or
housing!

24. Map Exercise
Name your map and choose a presenter

25. Map Exercise
Groups present maps and strategies

26. Workshop Video

27. What happens
after the workshop?

28. We gather all the workshop maps…

29. And digitize and analyze each one.

30. Visualizing the workshop results

31. Workshop Results: All Chips Placed

32. Workshop Results: Frequency

33. Workshop Results: Transit Chips

34. Your Input Concepts and Analysis Alternative Scenarios
We use your maps to build scenarios.

35. And then evaluate and compare the scenarios.

36. Residents are asked to choose the best path
forward - public preferences shape the Vision.
Interactive Public Choosing The Regional Vision

37. Workshop Dates
Regional: What kind of tomorrow do we want for the region?
Oct. 7 — Pottawattamie County: Mid-America Center
Oct. 8 — Mills County: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, Glenwood
Oct. 8 — Cass County: Plattsmouth State Bank
Oct. 9 — Sarpy County: Papillion South High School
Oct. 9 — Washington County: Blair City Council Chambers
Oct. 10 — Saunders County: Wahoo Performing Arts Center
Oct. 10 — Harrison County: Rand Center, Missouri Valley
Nov. 5 — Douglas County: Burke High School
Small-Area: Envisioning our neighborhoods of tomorrow
Nov. 4 — Bellevue/Offutt: Bellevue University, Muller Administrative Services Bldg
Nov. 5 — Downtown Omaha: KANEKO
Nov. 6 — South Omaha: Kroc Center
Nov. 6 — East Pottawattamie County: Oakland Community Center
Nov. 7 — Northeast Omaha: Lake Point Community Center
Nov. 7 — Midtown Omaha: Lewis & Clark Middle School

38. Growing Responsibly. Together.