Duy Nguyen, a Regional + City Planning student, recently published an op-ed in The Oklahoman titled “It takes a community to provide resources to homeless Oklahomans.” Written as part of Dr. C. Aujean Lee’s course “Planning with Diverse Communities,” the op-ed explores how different Oklahoma City institutions can help provide resources to the homeless. Duy says he wrote the article “because of the stigma on homelessness. Homelessness can happen to anyone and my class, ‘Planning with Diverse Communities,’ teaches us that planning should be as inclusive as possible. No one left behind.”
He begins the column by insisting that homelessness can happen to everyone and is a problem that should not be ignored, “During these tough times, homelessness can happen to individuals of all ages, levels of income, ethnicities and backgrounds.”
Duy mentions two nonprofits that work to solve homelessness in Oklahoma City as well as the role the Oklahoma City Metropolitan libraries can play in helping the homeless. He goes on to argue that everyone has a role to play in solving homelessness in Oklahoma, “Oklahoma City and all its residents should find ways to help people without housing find access to food, shelter and access to the internet. It takes a community effort to fight homelessness and help our fellow Oklahomans get back on their feet.”
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
