Alumnus Robert Gibbs honored for urban planning work

Oakland University alumnus Robert J. Gibbs, CAS ’77, is being honored by the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas for his career contributions in urban planning and development. 

The OU alumnus has been invited to speak as a William J. Clinton Distinguished Lecturer and will present “How Great Communities are Conceived and Built.” The address, set for Monday, Oct. 15, will draw from his new book “Principles for Urban Retail Planning and Development.”

Recognized as a leader in his field, Gibbs is among the country’s foremost experts in New Urbanism. He founded Gibbs Planning Group in 1988 and has consulted on more than 400 cities and towns across the United States, Pacific Rim and Europe. In addition, the Gibbs Planning Group has created a variety of New Urbanism projects in Michigan. 

Gibbs teaches a planning course at the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Executive Education Program and has contributed to five urban planning books. After earning his bachelor's degree, Gibbs received an MLA from the University of Michigan. He is a charter member of the Congress for the New Urbanism. 

Along with President Clinton, many other public figures have participated in the speaker series, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, journalist Bob Woodward, political consultants and policy advisors Karl Rove and James Carville, media titan and philanthropist Ted Turner, civil rights icons Ruby Bridges and Minnijean Brown Trickey, sports star Warrick Dunn, writer/producer Eric Overmyer and actors Geena Davis and John Lithgow.