Recently returned from Indianapolis after gathering with so many urban designers, architects, planners, landscape architects, city officials, university administrators, academics, and urbanists of all stripes, I’m reminded of how incredible and important the Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community (RUDC) is. Urban Design as a discipline is often considered adrift between all of these disciplinary islands. While it may lack a permanent home, its flexibility and transdisciplinarity may be its primary strength. These gatherings are invigorating, educational, and growing, and we hope that other urbanists will find value and join us in the year to come! As an architect, I’m proud that AIA has created RUDC as a dock where we can anchor to all of our allied professions and academia, and I am honored to be appointed as the 2025 Chair of this incredible group.
The RUDC Leadership Group is composed of AIA members who have been appointed to serve as ambassadors for urban design and build knowledge resources and connections for our community of designers. As chair, I follow in the footsteps of many great past leaders. Most recently, we have been led by Jason Larrison, AIA. His inclusive and empathetic leadership was the reason we were able to accomplish so much in 2024: multiple AIAU webinars, an incredible panel at the AIA’24 RUDC Forum, our annual RUDC Reception, and most recently our RUDC Symposium in Indianapolis (not to mention all of the work in sustaining communications and creating connections across state/local chapters and our 9,400+ members in the AIA Community Hub, formerly Knowledge Net).
As we celebrate our past year, we also thank our leaders who are rolling off their terms of service with the RUDC Leadership Group. Jason Larrison, AIA (Indianapolis, IN – 2024 chair), Nathan Ogle, AIA (Orinda, CA – past chair), Michelle Todd, AIA (Brooklyn, NY), and Kuleya Bruce (Springfield, MO). Their contributions over the past five years have been invaluable, and each of them leave a lasting impression on RUDC’s trajectory into the future.
Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome six new leaders who will be appointed to begin their terms starting in 2025:
- Abigail Gillin, Assoc. AIA
- Joseph Ahmadi, AIA
- Shrey Patel, Assoc. AIA
- Griffin Sanderoff, Assoc. AIA
- Christopher Stroik, AIA
- Sean Crosby
This upcoming year will have some of the long-standing RUDC hallmarks, but as AIA changes, RUDC will begin to evolve as well while keeping true to our transdisciplinary ethos and seeking to better serve local and state urban design committees across the country. Stay tuned for updates on where we are headed!
Finally, we at RUDC wish all of our urbanist community a truly happy holiday season as we welcome in the new year. Whether you help shape a small town or engage in designing one of our larger metropolitan regions, you are welcome to learn, participate, and share your ideas. Join us! Cheers to 2025!
Scott Archer, AIA
2025 Chair, Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community (RUDC) Leadership Group
Principal, DAVID RUBIN Land Collective