The 2022 Theme:
Social Equity Through the Built Environment: A Measurable (and Meaningful) Difference.
Tackling the challenge of ecological sustainability-related to climate change is intrinsic to the work of design professionals. While forward-looking designs continue to break barriers in the fight against climate change, those perhaps most susceptible to the effects of climate change may see a climate-adaptive built environment as a solution outside their means. It is essential to acknowledge that energy, carbon, and access to healthy spaces are inequitably distributed commodities, both financially and geographically.
As architects and aligned design professionals, we must seek to address improved standards for the buildings we design. We must acknowledge our shared climate by ensuring our designs encourage more significant social and ecological equity at the community level, be it in a remote, rural; or dense, urban context.
This summit aims to explore and better understand the issues surrounding the inequitable distribution of resources for all who inhabit the built environment we design. Through the sharing of case-studies from different community typologies representing our region, we seek to collectively investigate how our practices can ensure meaningful and relevant engagement on this issue within our communities and as a broader network, or larger sum of parts. We’ll also explore how we have been impacted as design professionals, how we have adapted our practices, and what work is yet to be done to bridge the gaps, either real or perceived.
We are looking for regional case studies that address:
- Community as a Network. Share areas of your practice that addresses social equity through the built environment. Submissions should highlight built or unbuilt projects, a collaborative process, or implementation of policy initiatives that share your experience with broader community engagement.
- Best Practices. Implementation of best practices to simultaneously achieve social equity and suitability goals.
- What is Working? Do you have a success story to share from your community?
- Common Challenges. What are the conversations surrounding common challenges specific to our region when implementing?
- Relevancy. Share ways in which your work has made an appreciable difference in your community at any point in the process.
Definitions:
Social Equity (as it relates to racial and cultural identity, energy consumption and opportunities, and economic diversity): Equity is the state in which everyone is treated in a manner that results in equal opportunity and access according to their individual needs. Equity differs from equality or parity.