Date
Each year, OU’s Institute for Quality Communities collaborates with cities across the state on built environment projects that have a positive social impact. During the spring semester, communities are invited to submit project proposals that are matched with different courses across Gibbs College or are delegated to the IQC graduate assistant team.
In November, the Yukon City Council approved an agreement with the IQC to develop a tree canopy plan for Garth Brooks Boulevard. The City of Yukon will provide a $2,500 local partner match to help with future beautification efforts along this busy commercial road. This project is focused on increasing safety and comfort for pedestrians, supporting local businesses and strengthening the natural environment.
Yukon planning staff will work closely with a group of OU Environmental Design students, led by Professor Sarah Little, to create unique design concepts for this corridor. According to Danielle O’Neal, assistant planning director for the City of Yukon, “The beautification plan will have conceptual drawings that may help us gain access to various funding sources to increase landscaping along Garth Brooks Boulevard in the future.”
During the spring 2024 semester, an interdisciplinary team of OU students and graduate research assistants will begin developing the project. To ensure their designs meet the needs of the local community, the team will engage in a series of community engagement events, including walking tours, lunch with key project partners and meetings with project stakeholders to share preliminary ideas.
As a part of their studio course, the students will then spend four to six weeks refining a report with proposed concepts and recommendations. Once finalized, that report will be delivered to Yukon city officials to guide them in the revitalization process of this corridor. Learn more about the upcoming project at yukonprogressnews.com.
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.
