Issues & AdvocacyPublic Policy

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Decade of Design

The AIA’s 2012 Commitment to Action through the Clinton Global Initiative is a ten-year collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and other partners to develop high-impact urban design and technology solutions for health, sustainability, and community resilience. The Global Urban Solutions Challenge will develop replicable best practices for cities to ensure the effective use of natural, economic, and human resources.

This “Decade of Design” involves funding and in-kind contributions through three initiatives: university research; community planning charrettes; and “Show Us Your APPtitude Hackathon” to launch creative apps and technologies with inspiration from the community planning process. An interdisciplinary team will solve challenges in one of America’s largest cities with design thinking and innovative technology.

The Commitment’s 2013 research grants are supporting: Texas A&M University’s project “Evaluating Health Benefits of Livable Communities” – a toolkit for measuring health impacts, which includes an empirical study of a LEED for Neighborhood Development project in Austin; the University of Arkansas’s “Fayetteville 2030: Creating Food City Scenario Plan” – a study of pathways to creating a local food infrastructure amid rapid growth; and the University of New Mexico’s pilot program “Establishing Interdisciplinary Health-Architecture Curriculum”.

Design & Health

In the face of America’s emerging public health crisis, design and health is a key initiative at the American Institute of Architects. The report Local Leaders: Healthier Communities Through Design is a call to action and a resource for leaders across the country working to create better communities. It is also one step in a series of future projects.

After decades of sprawling development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that an alarming one third of U.S. adults and nearly one in five children and adolescents are now obese. Chronic diseases are now the leading cause of death and disability as a result of inadequate physical activity, poor nutrition, and pollution.

On the other hand, a community designed for exercise can prevent 90 percent of type two diabetes – as well as 50 percent of heart disease, site-specific cancers, and strokes (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2005). Architects have the power to make healthier buildings and neighborhoods when they work as creative partners with stakeholders in planning, public health, and many other disciplines. All across America, architects are shaping buildings that promote physical activity and reduce respiratory illnesses. They are also creating living streets, better access to healthier foods, and livable neighborhoods for all ages with accessible, family-oriented homes. With America’s healthcare costs projected to reach 20 percent of the GDP by 2030, we need comprehensive and cost-effective solutions. Let us collaborate to use the power of design to create healthier, more economically thriving communities.

Cities as a Lab

What makes an “Innovation City”? Amid budgetary shortfalls, diminishing resources, & public health challenges, the AIA is investigating strategies for building America’s great cities & towns of the future. Communities of all sizes are now competing for top talent & investment; the innovators are tapping design to grow next-generation economies.

Creative municipalities are transforming the built environment into a lab for change. Pilots include innovation hubs, unique business centers, resource-efficient districts, & neighborhoods that create & scale new businesses. These initiatives take advantage of unique local opportunities & grow with community momentum. They attract the best employees with distinctive spaces. By purposefully co-locating services & amenities, they foster the exchange of ideas & resources. In the interim, better ordinances & zoning codes enable communities to create temporary amenities on underused land.Architects across the country are designing innovation into our buildings & neighborhoods to meet America’s changing needs. Are you looking to innovate in your community? Write us with questions & stay tuned to Local Leaders. (Photo: Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland; SERA Architects and Cutler Anderson Architects; photography by Jeremy Bittermann.)

Local Leaders

Local Leaders is a national research project on progressive public policies and initiatives in municipalities across the United States. Since its launch in 2007 this series of publications has served as a resource for cities and counties across the country looking to address challenges and seize opportunities at the intersection of innovation, green building, healthier community design, and economic growth.

Six of the past Local Leaders reports support cities and counties developing or expanding green building programs. Since the release of Green Schools in 2011, the latest resource on this topic, Green Building Incentive Trends, covers a range of municipal incentives along with tactics for implementing them successfully in different communities. Released in 2012, Healthier Communities Through Design offers solutions for healthier buildings and neighborhoods.

Issue Briefs

The Public Policy team focuses on a wide range of municipal policy issues relevant to the design profession. Among these are health, green building, and sustainable design; education and procurement of architectural services; permitting and zoning issues; and other issues important to the architecture profession.

Healthier Communities
Green Schools
Green Affordable Housing
Green Building Programs
Smart Growth/Transit-Oriented Development
Municipal Innovation Zones
Expedited Permitting
City Governance
Architectural Design Review Boards
Planning and Zoning Commissions

Policies & Positions

The Public Policies and Position Statements that follow have been approved by the AIA Board of Directors and are in effect until rescinded by the Board. Public Policies are AIA statements of belief to policy-makers, the public, and the construction industry on issues of public policy affecting the membership, the profession of architecture, or The American Institute of Architects. Position Statements elaborate on Public Policies or apply them to specific conditions or events. Commentaries are white papers or other analyses that amplify AIA doctrine by presenting rationale and facts to support adherence to a specific Public Policy or Position Statement.

Once approved by the Board of Directors, all AIA Public Policies and Position Statements are binding on AIA components. Specifically, the Institute's Bylaws state "no act" of an AIA component "shall directly or indirectly nullify or contravene any act or policy of the Institute." Under certain circumstances, components may be granted exceptions to the policy conformance requirement. Rules for requesting and granting exceptions to Institute Policies may be obtained from the Office of the General Counsel. Rules governing content, format, review, and adoption of policies and positions are contained in Chapter 9 of the AIA Rules of the Board.

For additional information read the AIA Public Policies and Position Statements here.

Staff

How can our work support your community and initiatives? We are always eager to hear about your challenges and successes. Send us your questions and comments; let us know how we can work together.

Brooks Rainwater, Director, Public Policy
Brooks Rainwater was named Director of Public Policy in March 2012. Brooks joined the AIA in 2005 and previously held the roles of Director, Local Relations and Manager, State and Local Relations. Brooks works collaboratively with internal and external constituents to build relationships, develop policy resources, and influence decision-making processes at the local, state, and federal levels on a wide-range of policy issues pertinent to the design profession.

Tatyana Brown, Manager, Public Policy
Tatyana Brown was named Manager of Public Policy in May 2012, following a four-month role as a consultant on the AIA’s Public Policy team. Tatyana advances the development and adoption of the AIA's green building and sustainable urban planning policies that stimulate economic growth and protect public health. As the Manager of Public Policy she coordinates the AIA's related initiatives, represents its membership before government and industry stakeholders, and develops resources to support architects and communities in implementing design-related policies.

Local Government Partnerships

NACo Green Government Initiative

NLC Corporate Partner Program

U.S. Conference of Mayors Business Council