If you were inspired by Laura Weidman Powers Thursday, you might want to spend some time with the Heartland 2050 display upstairs at KANEKO during Big Omaha.
Both Heartland 2050 and Code 2040 involve long-term visions trying to address the future’s problems now, Jeff Spiehs explained. Indeed, he thinks Heartland 2050 and Big Omaha share the same innovative spirit, and could work together to reverse trends like Nebraska’s recent net loss of college grads over the age of 25.
“The spirit of this conference is to attract and retain talent in Omaha,” Spiehs said. “There’s real innovation here, and we want to bring that innovation to adding new voices to the table.”
“The collective brain trust here could really solve some of the problems,” he said.
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Sponsored by the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency [where Spiehs handles community engagement], the Heartland 2050 project is formulating a vision for what life should be like in 2050 in eight Nebraska and Iowa counties in and around the metro area.
By then, the population is expected to double, with demographics shifting toward “a minority majority” by 2039. But how that growth plays out, of course, is yet to be determined.
Through paper and online surveys, Heartland 2050 asks area residents to give feedback on four scenarios and 10 values: healthy places, equitable access to jobs, convenient daily destinations, balanced housing, time spent driving, active transportation, access to nature, flood protection, energy and water efficiency and efficient use of public funds.
Big Omaha participants are also asked to pin their home and work locations on the display’s wall-size map. And anyone who wants to get more involved can sign up for one of Heartland 2050’s committees.
The results will help Spiehs and his agency understand the community’s values and commuting patterns. That will translate into real goals and early implementation, he said, on issues like public transportation options.
Similar projects have been completed in cities like Chicago, Sacramento and Des Moines. The goal is to reach at least 5,000 participants by May 23.
“If Tulsa can do it, we should be able to do it,” Spiehs said. “I think Omaha is better.”
