We Make Omaha

07/10/2026

On Wednesday night, experts and community members came together for Connection x Place, a talk with acclaimed urbanist Carol Coletta and panel featuring local placemaking leaders, Manne Cook, Stacy Lickteig, and Katie Bassett. They explored how public space can encourage, or discourage, connection between people and what the long term impacts are.

As it becomes easier to isolate in everyday life, it is increasingly important that public spaces are created to foster connections among all community members.

Thank you to all who came out to learn, hopefully you walked away with a new connection as well.

07/02/2026

Across the country, cities are discovering that great public spaces are among their most powerful tools for building bridges across social divides. Connection x Place brings nationally recognized urbanist Carol Coletta to Omaha to share what's working, alongside leaders who are doing the hard work of community-building through placemaking in Omaha.

Meet the Panelists:

Katie Bassett - Vice President of Capital Projects & Development , MECA

Katie oversees capital projects, public-private partnerships, and long-term development across MECA's campuses, including leading development and implementation of The RiverFront — a 72-acre public space in downtown Omaha. Her work has helped transform downtown's riverfront into one of the city's most visited and activated public spaces.

Manne Cook - Senior Director of Planning and Innovation, Omaha Inland Port Authority

An urban planner, designer, and cultural entrepreneur, Manne founded the North Omaha Trail and Fabric Lab and has been instrumental in catalyzing community-based initiatives throughout North Omaha. His leadership has helped secure millions in public and philanthropic investment while building cross-sector partnerships across government, nonprofit, and private sectors.

Stacey Lickteig - Senior Manager of Community Engagement, Omaha Public Library

Stacy's work at Omaha Public Library centers on how libraries bring people together through access, creativity, and welcoming public space. Closely involved in the development of OPL's Central Library, she thinks deeply about how public spaces can feel genuinely useful, welcoming, and worth returning to.

Join us July 8th from 6–7:30pm at the Durham Museum. Register at wemakeomaha.org/events/

06/23/2026

Great public spaces do more than look good, they connect us. Join us July 8th for Connection x Place, and explore how Omaha can build places that spark belonging, break down barriers, and bring people together.

Featuring Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow and acclaimed urbanist, Carol Coletta, alongside local panelists who are helping build community through placemaking here in Omaha, Connection x Place will shed light on how the built environment impacts the fabric of our society.

> Wednesday, July 8th
> 6-7:30pm
> The Durham Museum

Register at wemakeomaha.org/events/

06/22/2026

We celebrated the closing weekend of Future Lab with Future Lab Fest: three days of free, community-led music, art, yoga, and creativity.

Thank you to all of the creatives who activated the space during the weekend and the people who stopped by!

06/20/2026

Public spaces like parks and libraries, and “third places” like neighborhood coffee shops, are more than just nice-to-have amenities: they can help Omaha foster a culture of inclusion, combat the loneliness epidemic, and lead to encounters that form new friendships and opportunity among community members.

Join us for Connection x Place on Wednesday, July 8th from 6–7:30pm at the Durham Museum to learn about how Omaha can create great places and public spaces that spark a more connected community.

🪻 Wednesday, July 8th
🪻 6 -7:30pm
🪻 Durham Museum Truhlsen Lecture Hall
🪻 Register for free at wemakeomaha.org/event/connectionxplace/

06/15/2026

Thank you for visiting the Future Lab and staying engaged in Omaha’s future!

In April, we opened the doors to an empty space in Aksarben Village. On April 30th, Mayor Ewing “cut the ribbon” and opened Future Lab to the public. By the end of May, Future Lab’s windows were covered with sticky notes of the names of visitors and over a thousand people had walked through, sat down, looked closely, and told us which future they wanted for Omaha.

📊 The stats:
1,031 people walked through the exhibit at Aksarben Village.
700 submitted their scenario responses.
Countless more stayed longer than they planned, brought their neighbors back, or held their regular meetings in the space and left still talking.

What now?
The input gathered from those 700 responses now moves forward. It will directly inform Omaha's Preferred Scenario, expected this summer, and a new Future Land Use Map. The comprehensive plan draft is expected in late 2026.

05/28/2026

Future Lab Future Lab Open May 1 – May 31 in Aksarben Village and online, here. Plan Your Visit to the Lab Launch Future Lab: Online What does the future look like? For over two years, you have been helping shape a new comprehensive plan — Omaha’s 20-year plan for growth and development. To da...

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

The Future Lab closes on Sunday and we're celebrating with Future Lab Fest all weekend! From Friday, May 29th to Sunday, May 31st stop by the Future Lab for free, community-led activations, including live music, art, yoga, and more.

The lineup:

Friday, May 29th

5-7pm
🎨 Community Patchwork with Latino Economic Development Council
🎹 Music by Kelechi Chibuikem
Create a community collage of Omaha using paint swatches, fabric scraps, and paper with the Latino Economic Development Council, all while listening to ambient music by Kelechi Chibuikem.

Saturday, May 30th

12-2pm
🖼️ Vision Boards with Keenya Ruby
Cut, paste, and collage a vision board using materials from everyday life with We Make Omaha Community Ambassador, Keenya Ruby.

2-4pm
📸 Portraits with Josh Foo
Pose for a few portraits with photographer Josh Foo, the Future Lab is your backdrop!

Sunday, May 31st

10-11:30am
🧘 Yoga + Breathwork with Lotus House of Yoga
🎵 Music by Werdisbond
Join Lotus House of Yoga for an immersive 90-minute experience at the We Make Omaha: Future Lab. Mary Clare Sweet will lead a light yoga flow into guided breathwork and visualization, all accompanied by a live DJ set by Werdisbond.
*Bring your own yoga mat or towel
*Register at this link to save your spot! https://futurefestyoga.eventbrite.com

12-2pm
🧑‍🎨 Button Making with Dan Crane
🎶 Music by Montez Beatz
Tap into your artistic expression and create wearable button art under the guidance of Omaha artist, Dan Crane, all while vibing to music by Montez Beatz as he brings energy to the Future Lab.

Thursday - Sunday
🎼 Soundmaking with Nomadic Artists Collective
Try out the arcade-style music experience, similar to a deconstructed guitar hero game.

Come for the festival, stay to weigh in on Omaha's future.

We Make Omaha: Future Lab - 6470 Frances St Suite 118, Omaha, NE 68106

05/26/2026

Meet Nicole. She's a nurse, a mom of three boys, and she spends a lot of time driving from place to place in her car. She loves her neighborhood; and on a drive home from work, she started wondering what it would feel like to get some of that time back.

Nicole is one of the fictional Omaha community members that you’ll encounter when exploring the 4 possible futures at Future Lab. She’ll share how her life might change in each possibility.

Your input, alongside thousands of other Omahans, shapes what our city becomes. Visit the Future Lab in person before May 31st or online and make yours count.

📍 We Make Omaha: Future Lab in Aksarben Village, 6470 Frances St, Suite 118

Learn more at wemakeomaha.org/futurelab.