Resilience by Design: Lessons from Climate-Impacted Communities
Learn how architects and landscape architects can collaborate with communities to drive climate resilience—drawing on real-world lessons to support preparedness, recovery, and long-term adaptation.
About the live course
Communities across the country are experiencing the impacts of a changing climate—from stronger storms to flooding, heat, and other climate-intensified hazards. Architects and landscape architects have an important role to play in helping communities prepare for these challenges and better recover after disasters.
This session will highlight the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration and community-driven design in building climate resilience. Last year, the Communities by Design (CxD) program hosted a project in Bakersville, North Carolina, after the small community was hit by Hurricane Helene. Architect Cheryl Morgan, based in Montgomery, Alabama, and landscape architect Aida Curtis, from Miami, Florida, will share lessons from their work on that project and other resilience-focused initiatives developed through the CxD program. Drawing from their experiences both within and beyond CxD, they will discuss how design professionals can work alongside local leaders, residents, and other experts to identify risks, strengthen community capacity, and implement strategies that help communities adapt to changing conditions.
Participants will gain practical insights into how collaborative design processes can support preparedness, recovery, and long-term resilience in communities facing increasing climate pressures.
- Describe the role architects and landscape architects can play in helping communities prepare for and recover from climate-related hazards.
- Explain how cross-disciplinary collaboration between designers, local leaders, and community members can strengthen resilience planning and implementation.
- Identify strategies for incorporating community-driven approaches into resilience and climate adaptation projects.
- Apply lessons from the Bakersville project and other Communities by Design initiatives to support resilience efforts in other communities.
Presented in partnership with Communities by Design (CxD).
Registration is open for the Committee on Design Spring Conference 2026!
