Regional + City Planning student Iman Abubakar recently published an op-ed in the OU Daily about transportation inequities in Norman. Abubakar’s article, “Dismantling transportation barriers to socioeconomic equity,” explores accessibility and frequency issues with Norman’s public transportation system.
The local public transport is mostly utilized by low-income families, people with disabilities, and international students who do not have access to cars. According to a survey by Go Norman Transit, 53% of public transportation riders make less than $25,000 a year, and 54% don’t own cars. Despite these statistics, the neighborhoods where many of these citizens live do not have bus stops nearby, leaving them without a reliable form of transportation.
According to Abubakar, another issue with Norman’s transportation system is its limited hours, as it only runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. The low frequency of buses limits those who are dependent on public transport to take them where they need to go, decreasing their standard of living. For instance, these citizens would have no form of transportation to attend night shift jobs, nighttime classes, or access any healthcare facilities once the buses stop running.
Abubakar’s op-ed was written as part of a Regional and City Planning course, “Planning with Diverse Communities,” which is taught by Dr. C. Aujean Lee.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
