Apply to Join Your Community Board

Community boards have a significant influence on land use and construction in New York. While they do not have the authority to approve work, they serve as a forum for communities to voice their opinions on land use.

For this reason, AIA New York strongly encourages its members to serve on their community boards. Earlier this year, 2018 AIANY President Guy Geier and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer encouraged members to apply to serve on their community boards. Numerous members answered the call, dramatically increasing AIANY’s representation on community boards.

This year, we are once more pushing our members to join their community boards. AIANY’s Civic Leadership Program will be hosting a community board information session on Wednesday, November 14 at 8 am at the Center for Architecture. More information can be found here.

In addition, community boards will be appearing on the ballot for the general election on Tuesday, November 6. Voters will be able to vote for or against a ballot proposal which would institute term limits for community board members and require that land use professionals (such as architects) be provided to community boards. The exact language of this ballot proposal and others can be found here. AIANY strongly encourages that its members vote, especially for those issues that relate so closely to the practice of architecture.

Pulse Points:

• The Mayor’s Office of Appointments has asked that AIANY members strongly consider working for the City of New York. To apply for positions, please submit your resume to the resume portal. Additionally, please contact Adam Roberts, Government Affairs Coordinator, aroberts@aiany.org, so that AIANY can advocate on your behalf.
• Submissions are open for the Urban Land Institute New York Awards for Excellence in Development. Applications may be submitted for projects located anywhere within New York State, except for Westchester County. The submission deadline is November 2, so please click here to find out more information.
• Late last month, AIA New York was proud to host Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. to discuss development opportunities in his borough. Members were excited to hear about how mass transit improvements, such as the new Metro-North stations, and cultural facilities, including the Hip Hop Museum, are positively changing the Bronx.
• AIANY’s Zero Waste Challenge (ZWC) concluded last week. ZWC saw members dramatically reduce waste and increase diversion rates in their offices. Members looking to further examine their office’s waste should contact Think Zero LLC. If you would like to schedule a lunchtime learning session, contact Clare Miflin at clare@thinkwoven.com. Lastly, to get involved in programming or advocacy around waste issues through AIANY’s Committee on the Environment (COTE), please contact Adam Roberts, Government Affairs Coordinator, at aroberts@aiany.org.
• AIA National successfully advocated for the passage of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) by Congress, which paves the way for communities to better utilize architects during disaster recovery efforts. DRRA will require FEMA, architects, and engineers to develop standardized best practices for building-safety assessments that focus on a building’s structural integrity and livability post disaster.