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Regional + City Planning students from “Community Development and Revitalization” with Dr. John Harris and “Planning with Diverse Communities” with Dr. C. Aujean Lee recently presented to the Tulsa Planning Office and Riverwood Neighborhood stakeholders about community engagement techniques.
The Tulsa Planning Office requested help from the Institute of Quality Communities (IQC) to assist with their work to bring together key partners to understand resident challenges in the Riverwood Neighborhood area. This neighborhood is currently experiencing concentrated poverty and challenges of food access, housing security, and employment stability.
In order to better understand the challenges faced in Riverwood as well as determine the best way to engage with the community, the IQC suggested creating a set of best practices for community engagement and community organizing. This project was then incorporated into the Regional + City Planning Courses with Dr. Harris and Dr. Lee for the Spring 2022 semester.
Recently, on a Zoom call with the Tulsa Planning Office and Riverwood stakeholders, students presented their overview of best practices in community engagement and organization. They reviewed the different aspects of public engagement, including specific challenges for residents in multi-family units and public housing as well as best practices for engaging with businesses and anchor institutions. They also discussed the role of trusted advocates in community engagement and presented the results of their virtual canvassing campaign.
After receiving feedback on the students’ findings from the Tulsa Planning Office and Riverwood stakeholders, the Institute for Quality Communities will develop a final report that will present a set of best practices for community engagement and organizing in the Riverwood area.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2025 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
On November 21, 2025, the Mainsite Contemporary Art gallery was transformed into a showcase of innovation and craftsmanship for the University of Oklahoma’s furniture design build studio exhibition, “Purpose in Form.”
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.
