Environmental Design student Anthony Rodriguez recently published an op-ed in the Oklahoma City Free Press. His article, “Changing Attitudes Over Urban Sprawl Have Taken Hold In OKC,” focuses on the need for social interactions during the pandemic and how mixed-used developments can help foster more social interactions.
His 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. For this class, Rodriguez conducted a case study about 20th century discriminatory housing practices in New York. During his research, he learned about exclusionary zoning laws that restricted land development to single family homes.
In addition to this case study, he participated in a discussion of Jane Jacob’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities for his Architectural Theory and Criticism class. Rodriguez explained, “It was that assignment, that discussion, and the pandemic that had me think about the effect suburbs had on the social life of the country.” In his Op-Ed, Rodriguez discusses how the pandemic magnified major issues with suburban neighborhoods, including the lack of walkability, communal spaces, and diversity.
According to Rodriguez, “My goal for this op-ed was to express my optimism that cities like OKC are acknowledging that these zoning laws are at least partially responsible for continued racial segregation, missed economic opportunities, and low quality of life. The pandemic presented cities with an opportunity to improve the health and well-being of their residents in the long term. Time will tell if they ultimately took it.”
This was Rodriguez’s first time publishing an article on a professional journalism platform. Read his full Op-Ed in the Oklahoma City Free Press.
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.
