UNL Growth Report
Lincoln's Future Depends on Growth!
Economic growth and job development is necessary for a community to keep young people and attract new citizens. Growth provides:
- Good employers offering positive career choices
- Abundant, reasonably-priced housing choicesA vibrant quality of life
- Up-to-date traffic systems, water and sewer systems
- Growth Report: Benefits of Growth (pdf)
- Growth Report: Allocation of Growth Benefit (pdf)
- Growth is good (mov)
The Impact of Growth on Quality of Life and Fiscal Conditions in Lincoln, Nebraska — a study by the University of Nebraska — looked at whether growth was positive, or negative, for Lincoln.
The study undertaken by UNL Professor Dr. Eric Thompson, clearly found that planned growth, wherever it occurs in the city, financially supports both quality education and existing neighborhoods. Growth also has many positive benefits for the community:
- Increases sales tax revenue
- Increases the tax base and property tax revenue
- Creates new jobs
- Reduces poverty
- Increases real wages above inflation
The Growth Dividend: How Has It Been Allocated? – a follow-up study from the University of Nebraska – examined where the “growth dividend” has been allocated.
The second study showed the “growth dividend” has been spent on building new parks, fire stations, libraries, storm sewers, and street lights, but not to build or maintain the City’s street infrastructure. We encourage you to read both reports at the links posted to this web site. We believe this research can be the foundation for ensuring sound policy decisions regarding Lincoln’s growth.
Other findings from the report include:
- Overall, city government operates on nearly the same share of personal income as it did in 1990
- Capital outlays for streets and highways increased, but were fueled mostly by state and federal transfers
- A portion of the “growth dividend” was used to lower the City’s property tax rate between 1990 and 2005
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