Ebone Smith, a graduate student with the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, recently published an op-ed in The Oklahoman about extreme heat waves in Oklahoma City. The column titled, “As we adapt to climate change, we must not forget to protect vulnerable communities in OKC,” was written as part of the Regional + City Planning course “Planning with Diverse Communities” taught by Dr. C. Aujean Lee.
In the article, Ebone discusses the negative effects of heat waves on residents and how these effects disproportionately impact vulnerable communities such as “Black, elderly or lower income people.” Ebone writes, “Government policies, legalized industrial pollution and other structures allow for environmental harm, toward underrepresented and underserved communities, to go unnoticed; therefore, it is important for city officials to create equitable ways of reducing the human impacts caused by heat waves and other extreme weather conditions.”
Ebone goes on to discuss how a lack of awareness surrounding heat waves also poses a danger to OKC residents. She mentions the City of OKC’s plan AdaptOKC to adapt to the changing climate, but notes that the plan ignores the disproportionate risk vulnerable populations face, “While the plan addresses issues with heat waves in Oklahoma City (e.g., stored and released heat from buildings, and impacts of heat on human health), the plan does not include much on overcoming challenges faced by people of color and low-income communities, those often most susceptible to summertime heat waves — thus, it falls short of being just and equitable.”
Ebone concludes the article with a call to action to address the danger of heat waves the environmental justice issues associated with them, “To ensure underserved communities are empowered to be resilient when dealing with extreme heat, it is imperative that city officials work with community members to develop policies and interventions for historically marginalized people. Additionally, it is critical for these communities to receive information on issues presented by heat waves and the changing environment; therefore, outreach initiatives, in collaboration with local community organizations, must be organized to raise public awareness. It is time to make AdaptOKC inclusive of all perspectives and people.”
Image caption. Photo credit: photographer's name.
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Associate Professors Lee Fithian, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pober have published a chapter in the recently released New Perspectives in Indoor Air Quality, published by Elsevier. Their contribution, titled “Chapter 16 – Architecture and the Challenges of Indoor Air Quality,” examines the relationship between architecture and indoor air quality.
Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, Assistant Professor of Regional and City Planning, has been selected to serve as Co-Chair of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Planners of Color Interest Group (POCIG) for the 2025–2027 term.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Tahsin Tabassum, a recent graduate of the college’s Master of Regional and City Planning program and current doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, for receiving the prestigious 2024–2025 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award.
