American Institute of Architects EVP and Chief Executive To Chair Clinton Global Initiative Session on Design and Health
Set to Unveil Decade-Long AIA Commitment
Washington, D.C. – September 18, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Robert Ivy, FAIA, EVP and Chief Executive of the American Institute of Architects, will announce a major decade-long commitment by the AIA to promote healthier communities at the upcoming Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York September 22-25.
Ivy will announce the commitment at a session he will co-chair with Johanna Ralston, Chief Executive Officer of the World Heart Federation. Ivy and Ralston are co-chairing a “Design Lab” at the Annual Meeting on Monday, September 24 that will explore the issues around how to design healthier urban environments that can help prevent chronic diseases.
http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ourmeetings/2012/agenda/?day=2
Designing healthier urban environments—be it through better design of buildings and outdoor spaces or through public incentive and community-based programs – has become a cornerstone of the architectural profession as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes now account for 60 percent of worldwide deaths. Such diseases are far more prevalent in urban settings and the situation will only worsen with rapid urbanization in emerging economies.
“The AIA intends to be a major force in making the next generation of architects even more skillful at incorporating design elements and techniques that result in healthier communities,” Ivy said. “Throughout the next decade, architects will be at the leading edge of a movement that will be every bit as important to improving health as exercise and diet is today.”
About The American Institute of Architects
For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct to ensure the highest standards in professional practice. Embracing their responsibility to serve society, AIA members engage civic and government leaders and the public in helping find needed solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.
CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
Contact:
John Schneidawind
202-626-7457
http://twitter.com/AIA_Media
