Presentation to SpeakUp, the American Institute of Architects Advocacy & Action Summit, July 2016

1. People Power: Harnessing the
Grassroots

2. Today’s Political Context: The
Public View

3. The other global warming

4. The Global Crisis in Governance

5. Why Americans Hate Politics

6. Weaker than Ever

7. Our democracy is…disappearing?

9. • Just 13% of Americans say the government can be trusted to
do what is right always or most of the time. (10% say NEVER)
• Only 17% of Americans believe that big business can be
trusted to do what is right always or most of the time
• 60% distrust the media
Our trust is…disappearing

10. No Wonder We Don’t Trust the
Press

11. “Local leaders who need help no longer have any business traveling
to Washington. The nation’s capital has become the site of photo ops,
pep talks, news conferences and little else. As Washington fades into
the background, the rest of the nation is engaging in a great
experiment — can a country successfully invest in its future without
the national government being a relevant player?”
– Bruce Katz, Brookings Institution

12. • Example: Climate Change
• “Since 2009, lawmakers have proposed more than 800 pieces of
legislation related to climate change. The vast majority have failed,
with votes largely falling along partisan lines” (HuffPost)
politicization is a challenge

13. February – Providence, RI
“I wish we had a Congress that could help. We need a
breakthrough.” – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

14. • Global urbanization
• A Housing Crisis
• Rising Inequality
• Climate Crisis
• Global Crisis in Governance
• The world needs architects. Your time is now.
Today’s issues suit you…

15. Every week, 1.4 million
people move into
cities.

16. Urban Design Matters more than ever

17. “The biggest problem is the understanding of what urban design is…
the urban community has become lost in strategic planning,
masterplanning, zoning and landscaping … All these have their own
purposes, of course – but they don’t address the principal question,
which is the relationship in a city between public space and buildable
space. This is the art and science of building cities – and until we
recover this basic knowledge, we will continue to make huge mistakes
… Huge mistakes.” – Joan Clos, UNHABITAT

18. • United States National Report for Habitat III: “The United States
federal system of government creates a specific context for
addressing urban development and sustainability. The U.S. policy,
governance and budget picture related to these issues involves
every level of government; however, most planning decisions as
well as the implementation of federal programs are enacted at
the local and state levels… The variety of contexts and
approaches provides a compelling reason to elevate voices of
professionals and advocates at the local, state, and regional
levels”

20. All Politics is Local
• “If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu” – Mayor Bob
Buckhorn, Tampa (AIA Grassroots, 2016)
• 90 percent of success is showing up
• The narrow interests vs. the public interest.
• P2 is an absolute gamechanger in this environment
• It can easily scale upward and outward (almost every national
policy initiative begins as a local one)

21. Why it matters

22. • National League of Cities survey of U.S. Cities (2010) - 81 percent
use public engagement processes "often" (60 percent) or
"sometimes" (21 percent)
• American Planning Association (2012) – “More than 50 percent want
to personally be involved in community planning efforts, including
more than half of Democrats, Republicans, and independents as well
as majorities of urban, suburban, and rural respondents.”
• Center for Public Interest Design (2013) – 75% of AIA members think
that architects should advocate for underrepresented groups, engage
local stakeholders in decision-making, and conserve resources.
The Data: 3 Compelling Points

23. What
Government/Organization
s Want
What the Public Wants
Don’t try to fool the public

25. Don’t Marginalize Yourself. Never
Stand Alone

26. Rules of the Game
• P2 provides a platform for you to ID your alignment with the public
interest
• ID issues and develop your message by first listening
• It’s not a manipulation/persuasion game, it’s a logical extension of
community aspirations
• Outcome: people want to be involved because their voice matters –
you transform their role from passive consumers to advocates
• Sharing the story of good design is powerful given today’s context.

27. What can one person do?

30. Fremont Troll, Seattle
When urban democracy expands, cities flourish. The
placemaking outcomes – and the impact on people – are nothing
short of remarkable.

31. This was a citizen idea…now it’s
world famous

32. Grassroots gamechanger: Broadmoor

33. Neighborhood Call to Action

34. The Difference Community Makes
• 13,000 volunteers mobilized
• Revitalization Plan
• Formed CDC
• Charter School
• Education Corridor
• Passed Improvement District
• In 7 years, 85% of the 2,400 homes
were rebuilt and occupied

35. The
Difference

36. Community Processes Are
Vehicles to Leadership

37. • Communities with trust issues require more intensive engagement,
higher levels of involvement
Lessons Learned: Common
Challenges

38. Myth: People are Apathetic
Truth: People are hungry for meaningful involvement

39. Indianapolis

44. Outcomes

45. Process Drives Advocacy
Albany, NY
“Establish a
Land Bank”

46. 1. Legislative Strategy. Determining who holds the levers of power and how
you gain access to them to make your case in support of your goal.
2. Message Development and Communications. Making your case to
achieve your goal.
3. Allies and Coalitions. Working with others who share similar views to
achieve your goal.
4. Elections and PACs. Using the political campaign process can help you
achieve your goal.
5. Organizational Growth. Planning how the campaign will help grow and
strengthen your organization (i.e., the AIA).
AIA’s 5 Elements of a Campaign

47. The Empire State Future Coalition consists of local, regional,
state, and national organizations and companies dedicated to
smart growth and sustainable development. Empire State Future
and its Coalition support each other’s common missions
reciprocally; together, we are building and binding a collective
effort to move smart growth ahead in New York in leaps and

48. “In an American Institute
of Architects report
issued for the city of
Albany by the Sustainable
Design Assessment Team
in 2007, one of the
primary
recommendations was
creation of a land bank.”

49. P2 as a difference maker

50. Birmingham, AL - 2011

51. What Victory Looks Like

52. Strong Coalitions - Birmingham
• “The coalition of communities and
organizations that have come
together behind this grant is
incredibly impressive. I think we all
know we are working in an
environment of finite resources, so
from a federal standpoint it is always
extraordinarily helpful to see a large
commitment from the local
community, the private and public
sector and the region as a whole
behind one project.” – Federal official

53. Two Year Anniversary - 2013

54. Public Sector Impact
“A few days ago, Mayor Bell of Birmingham gave welcoming
remarks at our Alabama AIA state convention, and his comments
centered on this work. Wow. Mayor Bell got the message about
the value of design for the public. Not only did he appreciate the
outcome of the work, but he praised the impact of good design
on our communities and expressed fervent appreciation of the
work we architects do. We could not have written a script more
complimentary. The real value of this design assistance effort is
a renewed credibility of our profession and a commitment for
future collaboration. These AIA dollars were a great investment.”
– AIA National Board Member, 2013

55. Remaking Cities Congress, 2013
“Thank you and the American Institute of Architects for
all you have done to help move Birmingham forward.” –
Mayor William Bell

56. Process leads to investment
• “I don’t think this is one of those things
that will sit on a shelf…this is about
stimulating thought about what could
happen. Above all, you have to be
patient. When you see the right things
coming together – and you see that in
Newport – it’s cause for hope.” –Kevin
Dorn, Secretary of Commerce &
Community Development, State of
Vermont

57. Endorsed by even the toughest
critics
“They had ideas that we will incorporate on the waterfront and
the park. We give them credit for working hard and diligently on
the site. We’re going to look at it strongly and we think the job
will be a tremendous success.” –Donald Trump, 1990s,
following a NYC project

58. The citizen architect
“To get to the future from where we are now, we must make room for,
and nurture, what I call the “citizen architect.” What does this citizen
architect look like? This person is committed to universal
enfranchisement, and works to see that everyone in the community is
given a meaningful stake in, and a part in directing, the future. The
citizen architect is committed to seeing that, at the drafting table, the
public’s hand exerts at least as much force as the developer’s or
banker’s. The practice of architecture must no longer be seen as a
luxury that only the wealthy can afford. The public must be a vital part
of the process. Architecture is the most public of the arts. It should be
collaborative.” - Ted Pappas, President of the AIA, 1988

59. We are…
designers
activists
urbanists
volunteers
organized by
young professionals
We are Grassroots
The Power of Citizen Architects

60. Urban Charrette can seem like a
guerrilla movement in its approach
to influencing urban development,
compared to the usual process of
meetings, hearings and deals
between politicians, officials and
developers that often take place in
paneled and upholstered
chambers. -83 Degrees

61. Creative Conversations to change
the dialogue

63. Mobility Market

64. Street Design Festival

68. Raising the Visibility of Design

69. Tampa SDAT outcomes…

70. Bikeshare

71. From Parking Lots to Parks

72. Re-connecting to the Waterfront

73. Activating Public Spaces

76. The Value of design

77. Late June: Just another $820
million development

78. Could the next Mayor be an architect?

79. Imagine….What an integrated
national process could do…

80. Through grassroots designer democracy, we
have the potential to change the world from
the ground up. The challenges are stark. The
opportunity is clear. And it’s up to you.
A Call to Action

81. Thank you.
joelmills@aia.org
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