John Harris, director of the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design, and C. Aujean Lee, former faculty in the Gibbs PLAD division, recently published a paper in the Journal of the American Planning Association. The paper, “Practitioner Perceptions of City-Subcontracted Community Organizing,” examines local practitioner perceptions of a commonly used subcontracting arrangement using nonprofit subcontractors.
Municipal planning departments use nonprofit subcontractors to increase neighborhood community organizing. Lee and Harris’s study is the first of its kind to assess practitioner perceptions of this arrangement and its effect on racial inequities in communities. While nonprofits can be important partners in expanding neighborhood organization efforts, Lee and Harris’s study highlights the existing disparities in this process.
For their research, Lee and Harris conducted an exploratory study of Oklahoma City by interviewing residents and a nonprofit that is contracted to do neighborhood organizing. Their findings suggest that, while the practice improves some elements of community organizing, it also perpetuates existing disparities caused by the long-standing challenges of systemic racism.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
