A unity of purpose

This week, the AIA’s elected leaders and senior managers met with counterparts from the American Planning Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects.  I dubbed our group the “A-Team." Corny, but our organizations do all begin with the letter "A,” and we did take on a serious mission. 

We agreed to combine our intelligence and resources to achieve common public outreach and policy aims, beginning with design for health—to ensure that policymakers and the public understand what we’ve learned, about close relationships between the way environments are designed and the health levels of people using them.

That’s just for starters.  Along lines of the platform I laid out for my term as the 2016 president–elect of AIA, the group also agreed to concentrate efforts on the 2016 US Presidential elections.  It is time to focus the candidates and the platforms on the quality of America’s cities, buildings and communities—to underscore the intrinsic value of excellent urban design, of great and well-built architecture, of fine parks and well-tended landscapes.

In the longer term, AIA, ASLA and APA plan to cooperate on research, professional development, national conventions, local and regional member meetings, and other areas of joint professional endeavor.  These are good ideas, steps that will make our professional bodies better and stronger.

The design professions are united—by a common interest in the enduring value of great buildings and strong communities.  When we—the people who design and build—use the phrase Building a Greater America, it’s not some hollow campaign slogan or political tag-line line festooned with stars and red-white-and-blue banners.

It’s a tangible promise to improve life our country, for all people, and on many levels.