OU Urban Design alumni recently teamed up with the Society of Urban Design Students to celebrate International Park(ing) Day. On Sept. 15, they occupied parking spaces in downtown Tulsa to transform on-street parking into urban parklets.
Park(ing) Day is a global participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces. The annual event promotes safer, greener and more equitable streets and emphasizes the importance of public spaces in urban environments.
Tulsa Park(ing) Day engaged the local community by inviting visitors to check out each pop-up installation and vote for their favorite activation. The interactive event catalyzed a critical discussion about the creation of public spaces and how the city of Tulsa can improve the quality of downtown streets in the long term.
The event was organized by the Downtown Tulsa Partnership, the City of Tulsa, Tulsa’s Young Professionals and Partner Tulsa. The OU Urban Design activation was sponsored by Coracle Coffee and Scraps Designs.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
