The Institute for Quality Communities is working with Oklahoma City’s Capitol Hill community to build a public plaza for the district. Through workshops, the IQC is providing an opportunity for community members to express their ideas and desires for the space.
After careful consideration of the community’s ideas, the IQC team will use them to develop a plan for a Pop-Up Plaza that will take place in August 2019. This temporary installation, a one-day event, will allow the community to experience the plaza before moving forward with a permanent solution. The IQC will help local groups and volunteers build the Pop-Up Plaza using technique and materials based on tactical urbanism.
Afterwards, the IQC will produce a report on the plaza that will serve as the blueprint for a future, permanent plaza.
The Institute of Quality Communities is located in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
