Lahari Peluri, an alumna of the University of Oklahoma’s Urban Design program and Urban Planner III at Freese and Nichols, presented at the Barcelona Livable Cities Conference 2025, hosted by AMPS Research at La Salle BCN.
Her session, titled “The Human-Centered City Plan: Making Urban Strategies More Inclusive and Visual,” explored a design-forward approach to comprehensive planning that prioritizes empathy, accessibility, and storytelling. By reimagining long-range plans as engaging and community-driven tools, Peluri advocates for planning processes that are not only technically sound but also easy to understand, multilingual, and rooted in lived experiences.
The international conference brought together professionals and researchers from across the globe to discuss the intersection of design, social policy, and urban livability. Peluri’s work contributed to critical conversations around how cities can become more inclusive, equitable, and people-first.
Her participation highlights the global impact of OU’s Urban Design alumni and their growing leadership in shaping the future of urban planning.
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.
