Date
Please note, this event is now sold out.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities is proud to announce the visit of Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc., on Thursday, April 11th to share stories and lessons learned from the iconic Atlanta BeltLine project. The event will take place at Gould Hall’s Buskuhl Gallery from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. RSVP is required to attend.
The Atlanta BeltLine is an internationally recognized urban revitalization effort that has demonstrated how greenspace and a historic railway can serve as catalysts for economic development, connectivity, cultural preservation, and transformative design. Higgs will discuss how the project has created opportunities for cultural flourishing, inclusive economic development, strengthened social cohesion, and stronger neighborhoods in Atlanta.
This special event has been inspired by an ongoing collaboration between Environmental Design and Interior Design Studio 4 students at Gibbs College and the community of Taft, one of Oklahoma’s existing Black townships. Under the guidance of College of Architecture faculty Mia Kile, Marco Piscitelli, and Vanessa Morrison, students are working with Taft community leaders on their existing projects to reimagine an abandoned railway and historic school site to support placemaking, cultural tourism, and quality of life goals.
During his visit, Higgs will share insights on the BeltLine’s successes and challenges, and how the project’s lessons can be applied to revitalization efforts in other communities. The event will conclude with a moderated discussion, providing attendees an opportunity to engage with Higgs and ask questions.
Learn more at iqc.ou.edu.
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
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.
