The University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities is pleased to offer a list of engaging resources and ideas that support placemaking and community building during COVID-19, whether you’re a local government employee or a neighborhood resident.
Much of the world’s population is getting familiar with the term “social distancing” and what it means for daily life and personal well-being. This public health strategy in communities goes back a long time. More than 100 years ago, Oklahoma faced the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Just like today, the mandated closure of businesses, schools, and churches, and the restriction of public gathering of any kind, were key to Oklahoma City’s 1918 efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic.
Without a doubt, social distancing is having a big impact on communities, as highlighted in recent articles by Streetsblog. US car traffic plunged 30% in one week due to social distancing measures. With roads empty, some drivers sped up and Streetsblog recommended community-driven ways to slow them down and noted that it is more important than ever to encourage slow speeds to prevent accidents that should send people to crowded hospitals. Some cities are repurposing all that empty road space to create more public spaces for people to enjoy.
Even as people are largely confined to their homes, we are seeing ways that individuals, local city staff, and community leaders are trying to keep cities going, maintain their strong sense of community, retrofit spaces, and preserve social ties. Many people are also looking ahead, so that we can plan to navigate our way out of this crisis on the other side.
By Shane Hampton, Executive Director of the OU Institute for Quality Communities
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.
