Community Highlight: Greenwood Legacy Corporation Hosts August 29 Community Builders Workshop
On Saturday, August 29, Greenwood Legacy Corporation welcomed community members and partners to OSU-Tulsa for the Kirkpatrick Heights / Greenwood Community Builders Workshop, a hands-on learning experience focused on planning, development, and community participation.
Offered in partnership with ULI Oklahoma UrbanPlan and sponsored by Tulsa Development Authority and PartnerTulsa, the workshop was part of GLC’s ongoing commitment to help residents stay informed, involved, and prepared to contribute as implementation of the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan moves forward.
The day brought community members together to explore development concepts through a collaborative, team-based exercise. Designed for people without prior planning or development experience, the workshop provided an accessible opportunity to engage with the questions and considerations that shape redevelopment.
Dr. Lana Turner-Addison, board chair of Greenwood Legacy Corporation, participated in the training alongside fellow board member Eugene Harris.
“This work is ultimately about making sure our community has the knowledge and opportunities to help shape what comes next,” Turner-Addison said. “The Master Plan was built with community input, and implementation will be no different. Workshops like this help residents better understand the development process so they can participate, ask informed questions and help us carry the community’s vision forward.”
Harris, a founding board member of Greenwood Legacy Corporation, said the hands-on format helped make complex development decisions more accessible.
“You don’t have to be a developer or a planner to have a meaningful voice in the future of your community,” Harris said. “This experience gave us a chance to see how different priorities and perspectives come together in the development process. The more we understand that process, the better prepared we are to be active participants in it.”
At the center of the workshop was an opportunity to connect community priorities with the practical work of planning. Through the UrbanPlan learning experience, participants explored development challenges, worked with others, and considered how different perspectives inform a proposed project. Team presentations provided an opportunity to share ideas and take part in a simulated public decision-making process.
The exercise offered a setting for learning and discussion as GLC and its partners continue advancing the Master Plan. Understanding how development decisions are evaluated can help community members ask informed questions, consider competing priorities, and participate more confidently in conversations about the future of their neighborhoods.
For Kirkpatrick Heights and Greenwood, those conversations are grounded in a larger community vision. The Master Plan identifies opportunities for the redevelopment of 56 acres within the historic Greenwood area, with priorities that include housing, business opportunities, cultural preservation, public spaces, and long-term community benefit.
The workshop supported that broader effort by focusing on community education. Alongside the technical planning, governance development, and organizational work underway, GLC continues to create opportunities for residents and stakeholders to build their understanding of the development process and the role they can play in shaping it.
Following the workshop, participating partners expressed appreciation for the collaboration and preparation that made the day possible. Photographs shared afterward captured the learning activities and team presentations, providing a record of community members and partners working together throughout the session.
GLC thanks the participants, facilitators, volunteers, and partner organizations who contributed their time and expertise. Their involvement supports the continued work of connecting planning knowledge with community experience, priorities, and aspirations.
As implementation moves forward, GLC encourages residents, business owners, descendants, neighborhood leaders, and community partners to stay connected, attend future meetings, ask questions, and share their perspectives. Community education and participation remain essential to carrying Greenwood’s vision into the next phase of work.