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As city-builders, our work exists in the space between...We are all called to be part of something larger than ourselves, to embrace community, and to participate in crafting a future together. We need to cross the space between us to build dialogue - and the cities of our future. The Conversation Starts Here: bit.ly/AIAcommunities www.aia.org/cxd

The future of retail in America is under renewed focus as COVID-19 forces declining retail models to fold. The shopping mall as a retail model has been in decline for years, but the pandemic has hastened its demise. Analysts are now predicting historic retail closures in 2020 of more than double the previous record experienced in 2009. In considering how change is impacting our cities, it is he...

Mitchell Silver explains how important it is to understand every community's unique identity and feel the soul of a place - the 'soft systems' that are understood by all citizens in the way a community functions.

In 2018 - 13 years after Hurricane Katrina, Communities by Design visited the Lower 9th Ward community in New Orleans to begin working on an economic revitalization planning process with residents. This film was produced to give residents a voice in setting the context, narrative, and framework within which the team's work was based. It captures the authentic community narrative on the experien...

For decades, community design centers have played a profoundly important role in engaging citizens in the public work of city-building. Nashville's Civic Design Center serves as an important representative of this tradition and demonstrates the transformative power of community engagement for a more democratic urbanism.

"All design should be social impact design." Architects Shelby Blessing and Beau Frail reflect on their work with Community First! Village, a micro-housing development to address chronic homelessness in Austin. They describe how their values drive their commitment to social impact design with the ultimate goal to uplift and empower people.

A 2013 retrospective on downtown Austin stated, “When looking back on how far downtown Austin has come in the last 20 years, many newcomers to Austin would be surprised by the state of downtown in 1993.” Back then, downtown Austin was known as the “see-through city” due to the rampant vacancy, depressed real estate, the lack of downtown residential development, and a host of other challenges. L...

In 1968, civil rights leader Whitney M. Young, Jr. delivered an historic address to the American Institute of Architects. He challenged the profession to enfranchise all citizens in the conversations about cities and work toward a more inclusive professional ethic. A half-century later, these powerful reflections on the meaning and importance of the speech call us again to a collective commitme...

American cities have traditionally been based in democracy. Their physical character reinforced and represented their democratic orientation. David Lewis and Ray Gindroz explain how traditional 19th century grid frameworks facilitated the American Dream for new immigrants.

Twenty years ago East Nashville was referred to as "the wrong side of the river" by many city residents. It faced a host of issues. In 1998 the area was devastated by a tornado. The storm kicked off a process that has led to an urban transformation over the last 2 decades, and East Nashville is now celebrated as one of the hippest neighborhoods in the country.

Understanding the narrative of place is a key prerequisite to good design, and it cannot be understood without public participation by the people who experience the shared history, traditions and identity of place.

Cities are humankind’s ultimate democratic creations. They are the aggregators and integrators of human talent. We can tackle our key global crises today with urban solutions. Global civil society is stronger than ever before. Cities can harness it.

Richard Florida describes the importance of city building

Angela Glover-Blackwell on inequality and cities

The Seattle Neighborhoods Story

Urban Design Associates: The David Lewis Legacy

The Birth of the Pearl

Participatory Design Starts with People

The Real Experts

We Can Work Together

Santa Fe's Railyard Revival

How Can Architecture Support Social Justice?

Ingredients of Community Success

The Community Commitment: Gus Heard Hughes

Communities Want Placemaking: Charles Campion

Community Fingerprints: Don Edwards

The Foundations of Cities are People: David Lewis

Tragedy to Triumph: Birmingham's 3-yr Tornado Anniversary

Some Things Are Best Done By Community: Jim Diers