Opportunism and Principle. A Protest

No doubt, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization which can't be partisan and shouldn't disrespect a who a constitutionally elected president. A pragmatic approach suggests cooperation. 

But then there is dignity and a broader sense of what is right. The AIA faces the same dilemma as so many others face this week.

Pragmatism is too gentle a term for AIA's public statement not even half a day after the result of the general election became clear and only minutes after the losing candidate's concession speech. Its fawning opportunism exuded the pungent flavor of sucking up to the winner in a thinly veiled attempt of gaining business.

“The AIA and its 89,000 members are committed to working with President-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces, particularly strengthening the nation’s aging infrastructure. During the campaign, President-elect Trump called for committing at least $500 billion to infrastructure spending over five years. We stand ready to work with him and with the incoming 115th Congress to ensure that investments in schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure continue to be a major priority.” AIA CEO Robert Ivy.

CEO Robert Ivy running the business of the Institute had no business to comment on the presidential election hours after the polls closed. Not before it is clear in any way how the President Elect will shape his urban, environmental, housing or climate change policies, areas for which AIA had carefully developed goals and strategies over the past years in an attempt of re-calibrating an organization that many saw out of step with our times. AIA had finally recognized that architecture is not just a business but that the profession bears broad societal responsibility.

AIA's members live predominantly in urbanized areas where the overwhelming majority of activities shaping the built environment take place. Any glance at the electoral map shows how those urban areas voted in this and previous elections. A clear reflection of the interests and issues metropolitna America faces. It stands to reason, that, therefore, a great number of the 89,000 members of AIA see the result of this election with sorrow, concern and even despair.

Many of the stated policy goals of the President Elect stand in direct conflict with the goals and principles that emerged from AIA after extensive debate and analysis. The AIA has demonstrated strong leadership in sustainability, resilience, climate adaptation, housing fairness and equitable transportation. Along with many others, AIA has bemoaned the status of the infrastructure in this country, no doubt, that investment in infrastructure would be welcomed by the great majority of AIA members. However, as we all know, infrastructure is a very broad term and it means a lot of different things to different people.

The people of Baltimore and the consultants who designed the project over 12 years have learned this the hard way when the 2014 elected new Governor declared a three billion dollar piece of urban rail infrastructure a "boondoggle" and scrapped the project even though it was literally shovel-ready and fully funded and represented 12 years of consensus building, engineering and design and would have greatly enhanced job access and transportation equity. In spite of the Baltimore unrest and the ensuing awareness on how far US cities are still from true inclusion, the Maryland Governor elected to spend the State's portion of the rail project funding on highways and bridges in rural areas where his constituents live.

True to Maryland's moniker as America in Miniature the example is illustrious for the nation. Responsible infrastructure spending cannot be limited to "roads and bridges". In recognition of the direct linkage between infrastructure, housing, energy and social justice the past administration ordered Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to closely collaborate in the Sustainable Communities Initiative which for the first time forced each of the federal departments to work with others outside of their own comfort zones and collaborate for a more comprehensive outcome. This approach needs to be protected.

Outcomes, objectives, principles and the innovative methods to achieve a better infrastructure should remain the focus of AIA. Infrastructure in itself has no purpose if it doesn't serve the people and contribute to better communities. That is what AIA stands for. One would hope that pathways to share these goals with the incoming administration would emerge as well  as opportunities for a dialogue with representatives and department heads as they will be selected and appointed. Given the divide in the campaign and in the electoral map, these policy discussions won't be easy. The premature gesture did nothing to advance AIA's established policies. Instead it made architects look like an unprincipled greedy bunch that doesn't care about anything else than directing business into their pockets.

I made all these points in a draft article composed as an open letter to Robert Ivy on Friday and circulated it to my colleagues on the Advisory Group of the national AIA Knowledge Community Regional and Urban Design Committee (RUDC). The draft reached Ivy's desk and caused him to pen a respondo the RUDC the same day. It caused me to delay the publication of my article. In his response Ivy wrote:

If we do not work to engage with those in power, then we are leaving the fate of our profession in the hands of others. That said, we will remain true to our principles and values. The AIA strongly supports elevating and respecting the dignity and worth of all people, for example, and we are committed to addressing the impacts of climate change through policies that promote sustainable and resilient design. We stand ready to work with any policymaker who is willing to work with us, but we also are not afraid of calling out policymakers who do not share our values or work to oppose our interests.  

But the matter won't be put to rest easily. The online Architects Newspaper has picked the matter up and under the hashtag #notmyAIA numerous architects have expressed their displeasure. The popular online platform Dezeen has written a column on the matter The architectural critic Michael Sorkin wrote an open letter and his famed colleague Paul Goldberger commented on it. I know of at least two Baltimore architects who cancelled their AIA membership Friday.

Nothing would be less productive now than weakening the AIA. Cities, the built environment and infrastructure play a major role now and will do so even more in the future. The nation cannot come together and be strong without its metropolitan areas. Architects have a role to play  in shaping the future and ensuring that the future won't look like the past. A strong statement of AIA that provides a compass in a difficult time is urgently needed. How much the AIA is an organization representing all ultimately depends on its 89,000 members.

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA

The writer is a member of the Advisory Group of the National Knowledge Community for Regional and Urban Design appointed by the President of AIA. This article presents a personal opinion of the author and does not speak for the RUDC.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released the following statement shortly before noon on Wednesday from AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA:

“The AIA and its 89,000 members are committed to working with President-elect Trump to address the issues our country faces, particularly strengthening the nation’s aging infrastructure. During the campaign, President-elect Trump called for committing at least $500 billion to infrastructure spending over five years. We stand ready to work with him and with the incoming 115th Congress to ensure that investments in schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure continue to be a major priority.”
“We also congratulate members of the new 115th Congress on their election. We urge both the incoming Trump Administration and the new Congress to work toward enhancing the design and construction sector’s role as a major catalyst for job creation throughout the American economy.”“This has been a hard-fought, contentious election process. It is now time for all of us to work together to advance policies that help our country move forward.”