Marty Shukert Recognized by Omaha by Design

RDG Planning & Design is proud to announce that Marty Shukert, FAICP, has received the 2026 Spellman Civic Impact Award, presented by Omaha by Design. Named in honor of Omaha by Design’s founding director, Connie Spellman, the Spellman Civic Impact Award honors those whose consistent contributions have strengthened Omaha’s built environment and community life and made a lasting impact on the city. 

An Omaha native, Shukert’s connection to the city runs deep. His early fascination with cities and the role healthy, thriving neighborhoods play in their success developed into a career dedicated to strengthening communities through thoughtful planning and urban design. As Omaha’s planning and community development director in the 1980s, he helped lead significant downtown and neighborhood development efforts, including the city’s riverfront redevelopment and downtown housing programs. That commitment to Omaha has remained a constant throughout more than 40 years of work in planning and urban design.

Since joining RDG in 1989, Shukert has continued to influence how Omaha grows, connects and evolves. His work on efforts such as the North Omaha Development Project Plan, Park Avenue and South Omaha Streetscape reflects a career grounded in an understanding of places and the people who experience them. 

Beyond individual projects, Shukert’s impact can be seen in his longstanding advocacy for thoughtful community development and in the generations of planners and designers who have benefited from his leadership. His contributions to RDG and the profession have earned recognition throughout his career, including being the first Nebraskan named a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and induction into the halls of fame of Commercial Real Estate, Nebraska Housing and Omaha Central High School.

Shukert was recognized at the 2026 Laurels Awards on September 24th in Omaha, Nebraska, an annual program that celebrates the people and projects shaping the metro. This year’s event brought together more than 200 civic leaders, city visionaries and community creatives to celebrate the nominees and recipients and recognize innovation in Omaha’s built environment.