City of Lincoln Planning Census 2010

A. Overview

The 2010 Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) allows designated participants to recommend changes in the boundaries of census tracts for their localities. Recommended changes must be in accordance with guidelines and criteria established by the United States Census Bureau. Once accepted by the Bureau, these newly delineated tracts will then be used in compiling and publishing the results of the “2010 Census of Population and Housing.”

B. Process

As the entity designated by the Census Bureau for completing PSAP for the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County (Nebraska), the City-County Planning Department is charged with compiling a cohesive set of recommended tract changes. This process involves a series of steps:

1. Review of Census Bureau materials by the designated agency (i.e., City-County Planning Department), including tract population and household thresholds and criteria for splitting tracts, Census recommended tract consolidations for 2010, and methods for submitting recommended changes;
2. Develop a draft set of recommendation by the designated agency regarding proposed tract splits and consolidations;
3. Publish the Planning Department's draft recommendations for the review by all interested parties, including individual members of the public, the broader business community, and public and private agencies and institutional users of Census data;
4. Gather comments on the draft recommendation from all interested parties through various methods, including web site access, electronic and hard-copy mailings and other method of public dialogue; and
5. Prepare and submit to the Census Bureau a final set of recommendations reflecting general user community sentiments regarding tract splits and consolidations for use in the 2010 Census.

C. Preliminary Recommendations

• Recommended changes resulting from the physical relocation of tract boundaries within the last ten years;
• Recommended changes resulting from the increased population and/or housing units within existing tracts which meet Census Bureau standards; and
• Recommended retention of existing census tracts which have been requested by the Census Bureau for consolation with adjacent tracts because they do no meet population and/or housing unit thresholds.

1. Changes Resulting from Physical Relocation of Tract Boundaries


Census tract boundaries are "permanent visible features: which can "be easily located in the field without ambiguity." These can be roadways, rail lines, perennial streams or rivers, mass transit lines, and other features which typically remain unchangeable over an expended period of time. Exceptions include legal and administrative boundaries (e.g., municipal, county, or state boundaries) and occasionally less permanent features (e.g., fence lines, intermittent streams, walkways) when other more permanent features are not readily available.

The Bureau's goal is to retain continuing of boundaries so that comparability of data within each tract is obtained for multiple Decennial counts. Over a ten year period, however, it is not unusual to find tract boundaries which have changed. This is often the result of human activities, most commonly improvements or changes to infrastructure.

For the greater Lincoln area the most notable large-scale infrastructure improvement constructed during the 2000 to 2010 period – which would impact tract boundaries -- is the “Antelope Valley Project.” This Project involves improvement to and the further channelization of the Antelope Creek, along with the construction of a monolithic roadway system. The Antelope Valley Project network involves the removal or relocation of many housing units and businesses. The building of an open channel and other channelization improvements has altered the physical character of the area and the historical tract boundaries are no longer viable.

The proposed relocation of census tract boundaries within the immediate Antelope Valley Project area would impact five existing tracts: Tracts Nos. 4, 5, 6 , 7, and 30.03.

A particularly positive aspect of this proposed recommendation is that it will not result in the shifting of any dwelling units between the five existing tracts.

2. Changes Resulting from Increased Population and/or Dwelling Units



The most common change in census tract boundaries between Decennial Census counts results from of an increase in an existing tract's population and/or the number of dwelling units. This is the case with the majority of changes being recommended by the City-County Planning Department. The Department's recommended changes in tract boundaries for 2010 takes into consideration the Census Bureau's population and dwelling unit thresholds guidelines, as well as the character of the demographic and hostage stock for the tract and the need to define boundary lines which are "permanent physical features.";

A total of nine tract are proposed to be split. A brief description of the rationale for the recommended changes is presented below. Maps showing the existing and proposed tract splits can be viewed by clicking on the highlighted tract numbers.

• Tract 10.00 - Tract 10.00 is currently bounded by North 48^th Street on the west, Cotner Boulevard and North 66^th Street on the east, Leighton Avenue on the north, and O Street on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2000 population count exceed the Bureau's population threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into three tracts. It is proposed Tract 10.00 be split in an east-west direction along Holdrege Avenue and Vine Street. This would result in the creation of three new tracts (i.e., 10.01, 10.02, and 10.03). The two most northerly tracts will most likely very similar population and dwelling unit counts; with the new southern tract be slightly lower in both population and dwelling units. All three tracts are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 20.00 - Tract 20.00 is currently bounded by 9^th Street on the west, 17^th Street on the east, K Street on the north, and A Street on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2000 dwelling unit count exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 20.00 be split in a north-south direction along 13^th Street. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 20.01 and 20.02) with population and dwelling unit counts of near equal value based on Year 2000 Census figures, with both projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 31.01 - Tract 31.01 is currently bounded by Interstate 80 on the west, Interstate I-180 on the east, Superior Street on the north, and Cornhusker Highway on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2000 dwelling unit count exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 31.01 be split in a north-south direction along 1^st Street. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 31.02 and 31.03). In this case the new western tract would most likely have a population and dwelling unit count higher than its eastern sibling, although both are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 33.00 - Tract 33.00 is currently bounded by Northwest 56^th Street on the west, Salt Creek on the east, Oak Creek on the north, and a BNSF railline and O Street on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 33.00 be split in a north-south direction along Interstate 80 and Homestead Expressway. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 33.01 and 33.02). In this case the new eastern tract would most likely have a population and dwelling unit count higher than its western sibling, although both are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 34.00 - Tract 34.00 is currently bounded by Northwest 56^th Street on the west, Salt Creek on the east, a BNSF railline and O Street on the north, and Van Dorn Street on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 34.00 be split in a north-south direction along the Homestead Expressway and Coddington Avenue. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 34.01 and 34.02). In this case the new eastern tract would most likely have a population and dwelling unit count higher than its western sibling, although both are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 36.06 - Tract 36.06 is currently bounded by South 1^st Street on the west, South 27^th Street on the east, Warlick Boulevard and Old Cheney Road on the north, and Yankee Hill Road on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into three tracts. It is proposed Tract 34.00 be split in a north-south direction along the South 14^th Street and along Pine Lake Road from South 14^th Street to South 27^th Street in an east-west direction. This would result in the creation of three new tracts (i.e., 36.07, 36.08, and 36.09). In this case the two new eastern tract would most likely very similar population and dwelling unit counts, although they would likely be higher than the counts for the new western tract. All three tracts are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 37.10 - Tract 37.10 is currently bounded by South 27^th Street on the west, South 56^th Street on the east, Pine Lake Road on the north, and Yankee Hill Road on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 37.10 be split in a north-south direction along South 40^th Street. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 37.13 and 37.14). In this case the new western tract would most likely have a population and dwelling unit count higher than its eastern sibling, although both are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 37.11 - Tract 37.11 is currently bounded by South 56^th Street on the west, South 84^th Street on the east, Old Cheney Road on the north, and Yankee Hill Road on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. It is proposed Tract 37.10 be split in a east-west direction along Nebraska Highway 2. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 37.15 and 37.16) . This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 20.01 and 20.02) with population and dwelling unit counts of near equal value based on the Planning Department’s Year 2008 figures.
• Tract 37.12 (Part A) and Tract 37.12 (Part B) - Running along the eastern edge of the City of Lincoln, Tract 37.12 is a geographically large tract in the shape of a reversed capital "L." It is currently bounded by 84^th Street and South 27^th Street on the west, 112^th Street on the east, Interstate 80 and Yankee Hill Road on the north, and Saltillo Road on the south. Because of the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- exceeds the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into four tracts. In the south portion of the Tract (Part A), it is proposed Tract 37.12 be split in a north-south direction along South 84^th Street, and in an east-west direction along Old Cheney Road. In the north portion o the Tract (Part B), it is proposed Tract 37.12 be split in an east-west direction along O Street. This would result in the creation of four new tracts (i.e., 37.17, 37.18, 37.19, and 37.20). While the proposed tracts vary some in terms of population and dwelling unit counts, all are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.
• Tract 102 - Outside of the immediate City of Lincoln urban area, Lancaster County is divided into four large census tracts which generally split the rural portions of the County into quadrants of similar geographic size. Of these four tracts, Tract 102 has a growing pocket of urban development on its southern edge. Because the tract's Year 2008 dwelling unit count -- per City-County Planning Department records -- approaches the Bureau's DU threshold, it is recommended this tract be splint into two tracts. A new smaller tract would be created for 2010 to reflect recent urban growth in the area. This new tract would be generally bounded by Northwest 27^th Street on the west, North 14^th and North 27^th on the east, McKelvie Road and Arbor Road on the north, and the Purple Heart Highway and Interstate 80 on the south. This would result in the creation of two new tracts (i.e., 102.01 and 102.02.). While the proposed tracts could vary some in terms of population and dwelling unit counts in 2010, both are projected to meet Bureau population and dwelling unit tract standards.


3. Request to Retain Existing Census Tracts


In materials supplied to the City-County Planning Department for the 2010 Census, the Bureau is seeking the elimination of five tracts. These tracts would be eliminated by virtue of them being integrated into adjacent tracts.
The City-County Planning Department is recommending all five tracts be retained. This recommendation is predicated on the basis of affirming data continuity from past censuses (which will be lost if the tracts are eliminated) and the nature of the demographic and dwelling unit profile for each of the tracts. The five tracts suggested by the Census Bureau for consolidation with adjacent tracts are:
• Tract 6.00 - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Downtown Campus
• Tract 19.00 - "Downtown Lincoln" as heretofore referred to as the "Central Business District"; or "CBD"
• Tract 32.01 - Lincoln Municipal Airport
• Tract 35.00 - Lincoln Regional Center (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services)
• Tract 36.01 - Nebraska State Penitentiary (Nebraska Department of Correctional Services)



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2010 Census