2010 SDAT Program
The Center for Communities by Design is pleased to announce the selection of: Allegheny County, PA; Allentown, PA; Bridgeport, CT; Coos County, OR; Ithaca, NY; Oxford, MS; and Portland, ME for participation in the 2010 Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. The collaborative SDAT program brings together architects and other professionals assembled from across the country to provide a roadmap for communities seeking to improve their sustainability - as defined by a communities ability to meet the environmental, economic, and social equity needs of today without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. To access the complete list of SDAT communities and their associated materials including applications, PowerPoint Presentations, and Final Reports, please follow this link. If you have any questions pertaining to the SDAT program or the application process, please contact us.
2009 SDAT Program
The American Institute of Architects Center for Communities by Design selected Beatrice, NE; Cleveland, OH; Eagle River Valley, CO; Hilo, HI; Indianapolis, IN; Los Angeles, CA; Orange, MA; Port Angeles, WA; The Southeast Tennessee Valley, TN; & Virginia Beach, VA for participation in the 2009 Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. To access past SDAT applications and other associated resources, please follow this link. If you have any questions pertaining to the SDAT program or the application process, please contact us.
What is the SDAT Program?
The SDAT program is a community assistance program that focuses on the principles of sustainability. SDATs bring teams of volunteer professionals (such as architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners, hydrologists, economists, attorneys, and others) to work with community decision-makers and stakeholders to help them develop a vision and framework for a sustainable future.
The SDAT program is based on the AIA’s goal of helping communities create a sustainable relationship between humans, the natural environment, and place. By achieving balance between cultural, environmental, and economic systems, communities can sustain a place as a stage for human settlement.
While the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) program was developed to provide communities with specific design solutions, the SDAT program provides a broad assessment to help frame any future policies or design solutions in the context of sustainability. 
The SDAT process helps communities:
• understand their structure at various scales and contexts;
• explore interactions between ecological, sociological, economic, and physical systems;
• visualize potential futures;
• articulate the qualities of a place;
• advance the principles of sustainable communities; and
• define the role of stakeholders and players in both the public and private sectors.
The SDAT community assistance program provides communities with six components:
• -Preliminary visit
• -Three-day visit from a multidisciplinary team
• -A report highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the community with regard to sustainability, along with the opportunities and obstacles to change
• -Consultations after a three-day visit
• -A conference call six months after delivery of the assessment report to review progress
• -One-day follow-up visit to complete a secondary assessment, one year after the SDAT report is delivered
• A team of architects and other professionals such as planners, hydrologists, economic development specialists, and others are selected for each multidisciplinary SDAT team based on their credentials and the specific needs of each community. The team works in conjunction with local stakeholders to help shape the community’s strategy to increase sustainability. In order to provide the most objective assessment, the team members are from outside the particular communities.
Funding
For 2009, the AIA will provide up to $15,000 in services for each project and communities are expected to contribute $5,000 cash match as well as raise additional resources through in-kind donations and matches.
Questions?
For more information about the SDAT program email sdat@aia.org, or contact Erin A. Simmons, Director, Center for Communities by Design at esimmons@aia.org or 202.626.7492.
