Although he was born and died in North Texas (Wichita Falls and Tyler), Norm was a proud Sooner. Raised and educated in Wewoka and Norman, he became Midwest City’s first planning director, later assuming the role of planning director for Oklahoma City during the mid-1970s. His career then expanded beyond Oklahoma, leading planning programs for Broward County, FL; Austin, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Durham, NC; Cape Coral, FL; and Wichita Falls, TX. Norm was always in pursuit of innovative solutions to complex challenges.
In Broward County, he drafted Florida’s first mandatory home rule plan and land development code, also implementing the state’s first impact fees. In Austin, he managed the Austinplan process, ensuring the adoption of a mandatory home rule charter amendment. His tenure in Oklahoma City was marked by service on the State Task Force on Planning and Zoning and the Oklahoma State Capitol/Medical Area Zoning Commission.
Norm’s planning efforts were recognized with awards from both the Florida and Nevada chapters of the American Planning Association (APA). Beyond public service, he was a partner in an Oklahoma City development firm, focusing on inner-city housing rehabilitation and shopping center development.
He received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1962 and a Master of Regional and City Planning in 1966, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Norm Standerfer
May 06, 1938 - January 22, 2024
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
Gibbs College is pleased to announce the 2026 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. These individuals were recognized by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be honored during the Celebration Banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture’s student journal, has been awarded a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts to support its next two issues, “Pause” (Volume IX) and “React” (Volume X).
