RDG Planning & Design

Imagine walking through a once-neglected city space now teeming with life, where every corner invites interaction and community bonding. This is the magic of placemaking at work. RDG Senior Partner and Landscape Architect Bruce Niedermyer shares the importance of creating meaningful, engaging and sustainable environments in today's rapidly evolving urban landscapes. #IndustryInsight https://loom.ly/u-aWBDg

St. Michael Catholic Church's blend of architecture and art creates an iconic home for worship and allows for future expansion of educational spaces. The Lincoln, Nebraska-based Parish has been a presence within the community for more than 100 years, working to advance its mission to "Courageously advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of His Church" through worship, community outreach and PreK-8 education.    The parish engaged RDG Planning & Design to develop design solutions that would respond to St. Michael's continued growth and strengthen its support of the Catholic community in southeast Lincoln. RDG's resulting design, a blend of art and architecture, creates a permanent and iconic space where parishioners can unite and worship. https://loom.ly/Z41bsy4

RDG Landscape Architect Kene Okigbo, PLA, ASLA joins Construction Technology Webinars to share insights into the ACE Mentor Program. The panel will cover topics such as mentoring tomorrow's leaders, empowering the next generation, bridging education and industry and inspiring change. https://loom.ly/IiI0lTE

Today marks one year since we launched RDG Planning & Design's newly designed website. This project was an internal effort by a small leadership team of Erin Van Zee, APR, Scott Crawford, Joe Schmidt, Ron Heims and myself to transform a dated website into a high-functioning, design-forward digital landscape. With the help of Type/Code, we were able to streamline the design and coding process and integrate our project and asset management tools seamlessly (not, of course, without some trials along the way). From a #ContentStrategy perspective, it's great to see a few of the numbers as we reflect on our first twelve months in the space. We focused on creating a mobile-friendly site that was easy to access by all. Part of this included revising our brand standards to incorporate ADA-compliant colors. Here's a quick snapshot of how RDG's content performance has grown since launch: Our impressions grew 5.32% on desktop and a whopping 185.12% on mobile. Our average position on Google is now 15.3 compared to 29.6. Our user acquisition has increased 33.13% for organic search, 2.11% for direct traffic and 47.33% for organic social. Users spend an average of 35.9% more time consuming our site’s content, and the average engagement time has increased from 1 minute and 4 seconds to 1 minute and 27 seconds. Before I joined the firm and began this project with the team, RDG had little to no #SEO strategy and no consistent data monitoring in place. It's humbling to see these numbers and I'm excited as we continue to improve our digital presence!

On August 16, 2024, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation establishing the 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site as a national monument. This new national monument commemorates the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, where racial violence led to the deaths of several Black residents and the destruction of Black-owned homes and businesses. The riot was a pivotal event that contributed to the founding of the NAACP, a key organization in the civil rights movement. RDG Planning & Design is honored to have been involved in conceptual designs that helped the site attain national monument status. A result of collaboration between RDG, Hanson Professional Services Inc., local historians and community leaders, these efforts reflect a deep commitment to preserving the memory of the lives lost and the significant impact this event had on the civil rights movement in the United States. https://loom.ly/--cK8jA

As we close out our summer intern series, we reflect on the experiences and insights shared by the latest group of emerging professionals. Their time at RDG has been marked by personal growth, professional learning and a deep appreciation for the collaborative culture that defines the firm. This final piece in the series offers a powerful reminder of the importance of mentorship, hands-on learning and a supportive work environment in shaping future leaders in design and planning. https://loom.ly/hN7URzc

Since the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska East Union first opened in 1977, the needs of UNL’s students and its East Campus have changed dramatically. To create a space that could better serve current and future users, UNL engaged with RDG and WTW Architects to revitalize the existing Nebraska Union and create a new social hub for students and a new home for the women’s bowling team. Learn more in the Education Snapshots feature on RDG's design for the renovated University of Nebraska-Lincoln—Nebraska East Union Addition and Renovation. https://loom.ly/6M19_jo

Welcome Lindsey Harrison to #TeamRDG! Lindsey joins RDG as a studio and marketing coordinator. Lindsey comes to us from the Ankeny Art Center, where she was the Education Director and Ceramics Studio Manager. She is skilled at wearing many hats, knows how to juggle and is a talented ceramic artist. We're so thrilled you're here, Lindsey!

Luther College, located in Decorah, Iowa, held a wall-breaking ceremony on Thursday, August 1, 2024, to commemorate the launch of construction on the $24 million Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness. RDG's design for the renovated building creates a space that enriches the lives of student-athletes and enhances the overall fan experience. https://loom.ly/40af_H4

Education Snapshots features RDG's design for a new 180,000 SF ground-up middle school in Omaha, Nebraska. Bluestem Middle School is a new, 180,000 SF, ground-up construction project within the community of Omaha Public Schools. The project not only serves as a middle school for the area, but it also is a critical community asset. https://loom.ly/w6JOMUM