On September 11, urban design studio students attended Harrah Days in the city of Harrah, Oklahoma. Harrah Days is an annual celebration of Harrah, Oklahoma, hosted by the Harrah Chamber of Commerce, held in Heritage Park. It includes a parade, food vendors, live music, and more.
The Urban Design team, led by Shawn Schaefer, along with Architecture faculty Dave Boeck and graduate assistant Mas Monjezi, is working with the City of Harrah, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, and the Institute for Quality Communities on a plan for Downtown Harrah, including an urban design vision for a walkable district, “Sweeney Switch.” Read more about the project.
The Urban Design Studio students attended Harrah Days in order to introduce themselves to the community as well as make the community aware of their project. To do this, students handed out fliers along the parade route that directed community members to their project website. The students also invited people to the booth they hosted. There, students collected data from residents to learn what they were proud of in Harrah and what they believed needed improvement. They also asked what community members wanted to see in the downtown development project. Students recorded this information on the display boards pictured above.
Featured Image: Urban Design Studio students (Left to Right) Roshita Taylor, Jeremy Banes, and Courtney Graham staff their booth at the 2021 Harrah Days celebration.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
