North Tulsa Collaborative

This project, led by Northside Neighbors, brings together community organizations, legal advocates, researchers, and university partners to support long‑term, community‑led land and governance solutions in North Tulsa. 

LabGov is working with these partners to build a collaborative space where local knowledge, legal expertise, innovation, and research can come together to strengthen community control over land, resources, and development.

The initiative is anchored by the B.C. Franklin Legal Clinic and several neighborhood North Tulsa organizations, together with city government agencies and researchers from Univeristy of Tulsa, Boston College, Columbia, and NYU. 

Across all three areas, this project is grounded in collaboration and accountability to North Tulsa residents. Northside Neighbors leads this work, setting priorities and guiding the direction of each working group. While the groups focus on different aspects of the work, they remain closely connected: legal strategies support community governance, research informs policy, and community leadership shapes every step we take.

This initiative is still in its early stages.

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Together, the Collaborative is working across three interconnected areas:

The B.C. Franklin Clinic leads efforts to address tangled titles, probate issues, and gaps in legal infrastructure that affect North Tulsa residents. This group also explores potential policy pathways, including current bills in the Oklahoma legislature, to strengthen protections for community landholders.

Researchers from Boston College and partner institutions study the economic impacts of land loss, historical dispossession, and current property barriers. Their work provides data and analysis to support policy decisions and community‑driven strategies.

This group, led by Dr. Foster's Co Cities Framework, explores community‑driven models such as community land trusts (CLTs), shared governance structures, and other experimental approaches to land stewardship. Working closely with Northside Neighbors and other local partners, the group looks at how shared‑equity models can help stabilize neighborhoods, prevent displacement, and return decision‑making power to residents.