Dr. C. Aujean Lee, an assistant professor of Regional and City Planning, and Dr. John C. Harris, the Director of the Regional and City Planning program, recently had their article published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research. This peer-reviewed academic journal is the official journal of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and is the leading forum for planning educators and scholars to share their research.
The article, "Outsourcing Neighborhood Planning Processes? A Case Study of a Nonprofit in the City of Oklahoma City," examines how the City of Oklahoma City contracts out neighborhood planning processes to a local nonprofit organization. Using interviews, Lee and Harris examined the benefits and consequences of this contracting relationship on participatory processes. The findings reveal that the nonprofit enhances resident engagement but faces constraints on these interactions due to contract benchmarks.
Read the full article.
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.
