Urban Design students from OU-Tulsa recently presented a community design plan to officials of the City of Broken Arrow and saw it unanimously approved.
The research project specifically studied the logistics and feasibility of adding more development around the Indian Springs Sports Complex in the Tulsa suburb. The students named the proposed project Aspen Landing after a nearby thoroughfare.
“Urban design is an intersection of all the disciplines involved in the making and design of our cities,” says Shawn Schaefer, AIA, AICP, urban design program director. “And the best way for students to learn is to work on real projects with real stakeholders. This is a service-learning approach. The City of Broken Arrow provides an opportunity to learn and hopefully we give them something they can work with.”
Four students worked on the project, Sonu Malla, Tyler Duncan, Dylan Siers, and Preslie Watkins Anderson. The students worked with pertinent stakeholders for the project in an effort to ensure that the plan reflected the community’s vision for the area. This research included meeting regularly with city leaders and experts, as well as holding a few community engagement events where local citizens could share their thoughts and ideas.
The final plan was presented during a special meeting of the Broken Arrow city council. The plan includes details for suggested improvements to the existing Indian Springs Sports Complex, ways to streamline pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and ways to bring new visitors to the park for other activities including a pier and boardwalk to extend out into the river. The city councilors were very receptive to the plan and the students were provided time to discuss it with them further after the meeting. At this time the plan is in the initial discussion phase; any funding would have to be approved by voters at a future date.
Schaefer sums up the purpose of the project, “The objective is to give the students a learning experience – participate in community engagement, conduct research and analysis, and develop design skills. A bonus for them is that the city manager wants to move forward, the planning commission adopted it, and the city council was very enthusiastic.”
