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.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
