Equity in the built environment

Design affects more than clients and current occupants. It also helps communities thrive socially, environmentally, and economically. Learn more about designing for equitable communities in the AIA Framework for Design Excellence—10 defining principles of design excellence in the 21st century.

Inequity and inequality are among the urgent challenges that architects and designers are increasingly called upon to address. How can you leverage equitable development frameworks to create and promote healthy, vibrant, and sustainable communities? This report analyzes five systems architects and design professionals can use to drive change and shares project examples and potential impacts.

How can architects contribute to just, equitable outcomes for all members of the communities they serve? Find out in this extensive resource, which includes tools, tactics, and strategies for creating equity in practice and in projects.

Get resources and talking points on the financial opportunities and benefits of investing in equitable communities to help support architects and the communities they serve. Information is tailored to communities and firms and includes funding ideas such as grants, community land trusts, and micro-investing.

The AIA Guides for Equitable Practice use real-world-derived best practices, relevant research, and other tools to help foster equitable, diverse, and inclusive firm cultures and work environments. This collection can be used to make the moral, business, ethical, and societal cases for equity in architecture, and provides key insights to help individuals, firms, and the profession build equity in architecture.

Discover climate justice in architecture—design that centers both the environmental and social aspects of climate change in the design process, approach to community engagement, and final design.