Regional + City Planning alumna and affiliate faculty Vanessa Morrison and Gina Sofola, PhD student Eyakem Guiliat, faculty member John Harris, along with eight community co-researchers published theoretical reflections on the Women of Northeastern Oklahoma City Photovoice Project in the journal Gender, Place and Culture.
The Photovoice project was unveiled in 2016 with the purpose of bringing the neighborhood safety concerns of black women to the attention of local policy makers. The article looks theoretically at Black Feminist ideas and makes four key points.
The first point made by this article suggests that the neighborhood safety perceptions of black women cannot be disentangled into discrete individuals. It also suggests that neighborhood safety perceptions cannot be disentangled into demographic modifiers, such as race or gender.
The second key point of this article addresses the common emphasis on individual experience within safety scholarship and how it has the ability to erase the intersectional political and spatial identity of black women. This is an important topic which is covered in great depth in this article.
The third point of this article is that participatory safety methods focusing on individuals’ recommendations will miss meaningful aspects of women’s lives.
Lastly, the findings within the project allow the co-researchers to find economic and political solutions to these problems. This article also states that positive change will only occur when they gain control of processes that create urban policy and tools of urban development.
To view the abstract, and read the full article, click here.
Photos from Women of NE OKC Photovoice Project
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
