Belonging and Beyond

Design Framework/Equitable Communities Prompts 

• What is the project’s greater reach? How could this project contribute to creating a diverse, accessible, walkable, just, and human-scaled community?  

• Who might this project be forgetting? How can the design process and outcome remove barriers and promote inclusion and social equity, particularly with respect to vulnerable communities?  

• What opportunities exist in this project to include, engage, and promote human connection?  

• How can the design support health and resilience for the community during times of need or during emergencies?  

Guide to Engaging Community by AIA National

As community needs encompass broad concerns, such as social justice and resiliency, architects will do well to learn, build trust, and adopt solutions created in partnership with those communities. By practicing greater equity, the profession increases its value to society as well as its visibility among potential partners and future practitioners.

This guide explains the fundamental principles and attributes of community engagement and proposes specific methods and guidance for involving community members in equitable, inclusive, and just design processes, decision-making, and outcomes.

Download the PDF >.