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AIA Selects Five Communities for Community Assistance Program to Promote Long-term Sustainability
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., January 22,
2007 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for
Communities by Design has selected Tucson, Ariz., Culver City,
Calif., Dubuque, Iowa, Central, La., and Albany, N.Y. as five
communities to receive technical assistance under the Sustainable
Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program in 2007. The collaborative
SDAT 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
community’s ability to meet the environmental, economic, and
social equity needs of today without reducing the ability of future
generations to meet their needs.
“The SDAT program has tackled difficult issues like breaking
down barriers to regional cooperation as well as improving
transportation infrastructure and options, air and water quality,
local economic development, and general revitalization
strategies,” said David T. Downey, Assoc. AIA, managing
director of the AIA Center for Communities by Design. “Since
this program’s inception in 2005, we have seen a strong
indication that the program is working, and that AIA architects are
helping to guide American cities toward a more sustainable future.
For example, public officials from participating communities have
referenced the positive experience and results in op-eds published
in local newspapers and as part of their re-election
campaigns.”
An architect-led team of professionals including planners,
hydrologists, economic development specialists, architects, and
others will be selected based on their credentials and the specific
needs of each community. The SDAT will work in conjunction with
local stakeholders to help shape the community’s strategy to
increase sustainability. To provide the most objective assessment,
team members volunteer their time and expertise and are selected
from areas outside the project communities.
Past SDAT participant reaction
Pittsfield, Ma. Mayor James M. Ruberto said, “The AIA
SDAT’s recommendations have served as the foundation for the
continuing effort to update our master plan for the City of
Pittsfield. The program has helped invigorate our neighborhood
initiatives and the team’s findings also reaffirmed the
importance of downtown revitalization and investments. The
team’s input has been invaluable as we plan for the future of
our city.”
SDAT program elements
The communities were selected after submitting an application to
the 2007 SDAT review panel outlining the economic, environmental,
and social equity challenges facing their region. The SDAT
community assistance program provides the selected communities with
these components:
• Preliminary/scoping visit
• Three-day visit from a multidisciplinary team
• A report highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the
community with regards to sustainability, along with the
opportunities and obstacles to change
• Consultations after the three-day visit (typically by phone
or email)
• One-day follow-up evaluation visit a year after the SDAT
report is delivered
To learn more about the AIA Center for Communities by Design or the
SDAT program visit:
http://www.aia.org/liv_sdat
About the AIA Center for Communities by
Design
The Center for Communities by Design is the clearinghouse for the
American Institute of Architects' many activities—from
promoting sustainable design to leading design based technical
assistance projects in communities—that influence the quality
of life in our nation's communities. The center is a nonpartisan
forum that provides information, develops policy, creates
partnerships, and assists in advocacy efforts to facilitate
discussions of community design and inform choices for
neighborhoods, cities, regions, and the nation.
About The American Institute of
Architects
For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have
worked with each other and their communities to create more
valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and
cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge,
and tools to create better design, and through such resources and
access, they help clients and communities make their visions real.
www.aia.org
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