The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for preparing the City/County Comprehensive Plan and keeping it up-to-date. The Plan looks out 25 years and more into the future. Think of the Comprehensive Plan like the "business plan" for the City and County. The Plan estimates how much land we need for growth and then shows how the roads, utilities, and other public services will be built to allow this growth to occur.
Transportation is an element of the Comprehensive Plan, but transportation planning is done through the vehicle of the Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (Lincoln MPO). The Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is a much more detailed plan for transportation. This Division ensures that the LRTP and other transportation planning activities meet federal regulations, so the City remains eligible to receive between 10-20 million dollars for roads, bridges, trails, sidewalks, and buying and running buses.
This Division assembles the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP shows where, when, and how the City expects to spend nearly a billion dollars in tax and user revenues over the next six years. This document plays a primary role in guiding how private and public land development and investment decisions are made.
This Division also staffs three committees which look out for the architectural heritage and visual appearance of the City: the Historic Preservation Commission, which protects historic landmarks and districts; the Urban Design Committee, which advises the Mayor on the design of public projects and private projects with City financial assistance; and the Capitol Environs Commission, established by State and local law to review designs in the vicinity of our world-famous State Capitol.