Already, the consequences of low-density sprawl development is evident throughout the country- loss of productive farmland; friction between farmers and ex-urban dwellers; increased and inequitable property valuations; gated communities; new infrastructure at the edges of development being subsidized by older, inner-city dwellers; decaying infrastructure, neighborhoods and property values at the core of the city; traffic congestion; loss of community; and environmental degradation of fragile ecosystems. What is most alarming are the consequences of continuing current development patterns in light of this impending growth potential. Joslyn Institute is at the forefront of regional growth planning and management with several projects it has been involved in: The Sixty Mile Radius Project The fast-growing Omaha metropolitan area will be home to more than two million people by the year 2050, placing increasing pressure on a diverse and fragile ecosystem that includes two major rivers, critical wildlife habitat, and some of the most productive agricultural land in the region. The Sixty-mile Radius Project is a commitment by Joslyn Institute and area stakeholders to stimulate communication, establish a repository for pertinent planning documents, and develop a sustainability indicators system to help guide future growth. The Flatwater Metroplex Report is available online.  Click on the link below. view project details Flatwater Metroplex Conference Focuses on Metro Growth Challenges The Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities  hosted its third conference on growth challenges in the Omaha-Lincoln-Council Bluffs metro region on Sept. 9, 2004, at the Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine Street, Omaha, NE .  The conference unveiled a plan to manage the expected growth in the Omaha-Council Bluff-Lincoln metropolitan area. Cecil Steward, founder of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities, has been examining the impact as the area within 60 miles of Omaha grows from 1.2 million today to 2 million in 2050. view project details