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“Decade of Design” to Explore Resilience in a Post-Sandy World
By Cooper Martin, Manager, Community Resilience

All this month, AIA Issues and Advocacy will be providing you with updates on the Decade of Design, the AIA’s Commitment to Action with the Clinton Global Initiative. Currently, our pledge to examine the connection between health and design is the centerpiece of the Institute’s commitment, but we are also preparing for additional opportunities as the focus expands to include resiliency and sustainability.

In December, the AIA was part of a convening of organizations hosted in New York City concerning Post-Sandy Reconstruction and AIA Vice President Russ Davidson, FAIA attended the event. It was an honor to be able to relate all of the assistance that our members and components had provided up until that point. It was also humbling to hear about the work that so many others were engaged in.

Perhaps most importantly, it was promising to see that all of these organizations had a deep commitment to learn from previous disasters and from one another. After opening remarks from New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the group spoke candidly about the need to avoid redundant efforts, foster partnerships that could fill gaps in their own capabilities, and strive to build back better.

It would be a mistake to allow our entire focus to center on post-Sandy reconstruction. However, the event has clearly defined a design challenge, one that architects must help solve, facing communities all over the country as over 50% of Americans live in coastal regions. The tools and research generated by the AIA Decade of Design will help the profession meet this challenge.

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