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Urban Design | OU-Tulsa

An urban planner gestures with both hands as he explains a city plan to a group of gathered students. A bright orange Road Work sign sits nearby

Designing the Future

Urban design is a creative discipline integrating aspects of architecture, city planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and real estate development. Urban designers often engage in the design of urban spaces, streetscapes, and large-scale developments. They may be asked to provide visions for neighborhoods, districts, and even entire cities.

The Urban Design Studio at OU-Tulsa is creating a community of urban designers that positively change lives. Urban Design graduates are in high demand in cities and towns large and small. The Urban Design Studio has a nearly 100% placement rate for graduates, and offers multiple scholarships to help students reach their full potential.

 

Read the OUUDS 2021 Annual Report (PDF)

 

Urban Design students assist in the installation of an art piece in downtown Tulsa

Urban Design Studio

The Urban Design Studio is committed to providing students the tools to learn and perfect their design skills. The studio is equipped with a local area computer network connecting seven computer graphic workstations running advanced graphic software

 

Urban Design Studio

Community Health and Environmental Design initiative (CHED)

The CHED is an interdiscipinary community resource promoting health and wellness through better environmental design of buildings, neighborhoods and cities.

 

CHED

Student Project Archive

Urban Design students help communities and give back through meaningful work and service during their time at OU-Tulsa. Students to learn by working with community partners on real urban design and community planning projects.

 

Student Archive

A photo of Shawn Schaefer

Contact
Shawn Michael Schaefer
Director, Urban Design Studio
Gibbs College of Architecture
OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center
4502 East 41st Street
Tulsa, OK 74135
918-261-5935
sschaefer@ou.edu

 

Located on OU-Tulsa's midtown campus, the Urban Design Studio provides students access to industry standard tools to learn and perfect their design skills. The studio is equipped with a local area computer network connecting seven computer graphic workstations running advanced graphic software, including:

  • Autocad
  • 3DStudio Max
  • Revit
  • Rhino
  • Lumion
  • Sketch-Up
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • ARCGIS. 
Students and faculty work on a design plan in the Urban Design studio
Urban design students inspect and analyze a scale model of a building

Our programs emphasize the physical model as a superior means of study and communication, and the Urban Design Studio has extensive model building capabilities including additive and subtractive rapid prototyping equipment and a shop with miniature power tools. 

The studio also features large format plotters, scanners, digital cameras and other peripherals, as well as the latest instructional technology.

The CHED is a community resource promoting health and wellness through better environmental design of buildings, neighborhoods and cities. Our motto is Better Health by Design. The initiative focuses on working in an interdisciplanary manner with partners from a multitude of fields to maximize the positive impact of good design.

For more information on CHED, email Shawn Schaefer at sschaefer@ou.edu.

Logo reading CHED: community health and environmental design studio
A digital rendering of a food truck plaza

Digital redering created by Urban Design student Camila Coronado for Whittier Square

Kendall-Whittier On the Go! (PDF)

Mingo Creek: Diamond in The Rough (PDF)

Developing Tulsa's Riverfront (PDF)

Maintaining Small Town Character: Depew (PDF)

2011
The Northland Plan (PDF)
Tulsa Photovoice (PDF)
Thunderbird Youth Academy (PDF)
Child Deserts (PDF)
Not That Kind of City (PDF)
Teaching Students Earth Friendly Design (PDF)
Biomimetic Building Skins (PDF)
Rousette: Arizona Challenge (PDF)

2010
Active Transportation Analysis for Schools (PDF)
Neighborhood Planning Academy (PDF)
Bartlesville Parks and Recreation Analysis (PDF)
Political Attitudes and Urban Form in Tulsa (PDF)
A Place to Call Home for Vulnerable Citizens (PDF)
Re-Branding Will Rogers High School (PDF)
Turley Community Garden Park (PDF)
Polycentric Tulsa (PDF)

2009
Online Collaboration by Design (PDF)
Forest Orchard Neighborhood Plan (PDF)
Refill: Tulsa North (PDF)
Green Roof: Plant Trial Array (PDF)
TCC: Transit Feasibility (PDF)
Carfree Tulsa (PDF)
Grove Community School (PDF)

2008
Northeastern State University Plan (PDF)
Tulsa Community Schools (PDF)
Development Intensity Transect (PDF)
White City Neighborhood Plan (PDF)
Public Art for Tulsa (PDF)

2007
Skiatook Town Plan (PDF)
West Bank Arkansas River (PDF)
Lortondale Intensive Level Survey (PDF)
Tulsa Arts District (PDF)
Utica Avenue Pedestrian Plan (PDF)
Neighborhood Association Survey (PDF)

2006
Midtown Tulsa Redux (PDF)
Step Pharmacy / Route 66 (PDF)
Downtown Ballpark (PDF)
Gunboat Park Plan (PDF)
Downtown / River Links (PDF)

2003/2004/2005
Sparrows' Landing Master Plan (PDF)
Tracy Park / Gunboat Park Plan (PDF)
DVIS Protective Order Mapping (PDF)
Tulsa Urban Mapping Project (PDF)
Riverview Neighborhood Plan (PDF)