AIA is develping a new commitment to help firms design buildings and spaces that protect communities before disaster strikes and support recovery when it does. It will provide a foundation for action, encourage dialogue, and will be accompanied by implementation guidance, resources, and outcome tracking tools.
We're in active development and want to hear from members, firms, and partners before the commitment is finalized. You can read the draft statements below and we hope you take a few minutes to provide feedback on the statements. Please provide feedback here by August 21.
Signatory firms commit to advance the following principles:
Understanding hazard risk
We pledge to systematically assess hazard risks by identifying current and future hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposures in the local context-integrating climate projections, socioeconomic factors, environmental considerations, stakeholder insights, and risk modeling to guide design, planning, and retrofit decisions.
Designing for resilience
We pledge to embed resilience into design and planning processes for new construction and renovation-incorporating adaptive systems, material selection, redundancy, and flexibility to prepare for, absorb, and recover from adverse events, including multi-hazard scenarios.
Elevating safety
We pledge to prioritize occupant and community safety-with explicit recognition that hazard risk falls disproportionately on low-income communities and communities of color-by reducing disaster-related harm over a building's expected lifecycle. We will advocate for and implement hazard-resistant codes, policies, and best practices-even in jurisdictions where adoption is incomplete-and equitable enforcement in the jurisdictions that need it most. Projects in disaster-prone areas will receive enhanced scrutiny to address that risk in ways that protect vulnerable residents rather than displace them.
Integrating equity to strengthen communities
We pledge to advance social resilience by identifying the specific needs of low-income households, communities of color, people with disabilities, elderly residents, indigenous communities, and non-English speakers in areas of disaster risk-and by building partnerships grounded in shared decision-making, not outreach alone. We commit to proactive preparedness, inclusive disaster risk management, and equitable access to design services, technical assistance, and recovery funding.
Promoting operational continuity
We pledge to enhance operational resilience-including businesses, schools & institutions-and protect productive assets, ensuring continuity of services and integration of hazard risk management into operational plans. We will advocate for public and nonprofit mitigation and recovery investment in low-income areas where private resources alone are insufficient, so that communities that survive disasters are the same communities that return.
Advancing a regenerative approach
We pledge to design with people, place, and ecology in mind, strengthening long-term capacity, adaptability, and renewal. Our work will aim to create net positive impact-socially, economically, and environmentally-while fostering collaboration with local communities, stakeholders, and partners. We will actively educate communities about human impact on ecosystems and promote key partnerships, not simply deliver technical solutions.
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Paola Capo
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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