Regional and City Planning professor, Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, has recently published an article in the prestigious Journal of Planning Literature. The article, titled “How Remote Working and Placelessness Affect Future Planning for Innovation Districts: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” examines the impacts of telework and the gig economy on planning for innovation districts. It highlights solutions to mitigate the negative effects on cities and their urban vitality.
Innovation Districts (IDs) have emerged as essential place-based strategies for economic development within urban planning and land-use policy. While existing literature covers the types of IDs and the built environment features that define them, there is a gap in understanding the role of the built environment in the context of increasing remote work and placelessness. By conducting a systematic review of the literature, this research explores how future planning for Innovation Districts will be impacted and how to tackle the challenge of rising placelessness in urban areas.
This article is part of Mozaffarian’s ongoing research on Innovation Districts and their planning and policy implications. For this project, Mozaffarian collaborated with faculty from San Jose State University (SJSU) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
