AIA wins 2010 ‘Organization of the Year’ Award from IAP2

The award was presented in Scarborough, UK, as part of the IAP2’s annual Core Values Awards, which recognise global leaders in public participation. The AIA’s entry, “Building the Designer Democracy Movement,” was recognised by an international jury for providing “an impressive history of public participation, and clear evidence of the creation of a public participation culture within organisation.” The application described the AIA’s 43-year tradition of public service work through its design assistance programmes, and their subsequent impact on the organisation’s mission and approach to public work. Through the Center for Communities by Design, AIA has conducted public service work across the country, involving over 1,000 professionals from more than 30 disciplines and leveraging millions of dollars in professional pro bono services for over 180 communities. It is hoped that this recognition will provide greater awareness about the value of public participation in community design, and wider application of similar processes to address the community challenges of the 21st century. The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) seeks to promote and improve the practice of public participation around the world. IAP2 carries out its mission by serving the learning needs of members; advocating for public participation throughout the world; promoting a results-oriented research agenda and using research to improve public participation. IAP2 has over 1,500 members in 26 countries in five continents. IAP2 provides public participation training for members and non-members all over the world. Each year IAP2 recognises international best practice in the field of public participation through its Core Values Awards. The Center for Communities by Design serves as a catalyst, convener, and information centre that help AIA members work with citizens and other stakeholders to envision and create more sustainable, healthy, safe and liveable communities. The Regional and Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) program has been in existence since 1967. The Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program has worked in 46 communities since 2005.