The way in which combat veterans perceive their postdeployment environment is impacted by their training and military experiences. In this course, we explore common environmental perceptions among veterans that reflect the unseen trauma these soldiers carry with them. These perceptions are used to analyze and determine architectural solutions that help calm the unseen trauma of America’s combat veterans.

The past several decades have seen discussions of why preserving modern heritage is different from traditional heritage and how addressing systemic racial and social injustices is key to telling the full American story. “Modern Heritage, Social Justice, Equity, & Inclusion” examines 21st century preservation and addresses the complexities that modern heritage, intangible heritage, and social justice have added to preservation. This course is the last of the five-part Historic Preservation series. Each section can be taken as an individual course.

Growing US cities face escalating housing costs, residential and commercial displacement, homelessness, and the suburbanization of poverty. As increasing numbers of households are pushed out of the city by rising housing costs, they are burdened with long commutes and increased transportation costs while their carbon emissions escalate. These challenges are exacerbated by a deeply embedded policy—single-family zoning—that accounts for 75% or more of the land area allotted for housing in many fast-growing US cities. In this first of a two-part series, the history, evolution, and social equity and environmental impacts of single-family zoning policy in one city, Seattle, serve as an example of conditions in a number of fast-growing cities around the country. It also outlines the aggressive resistance to change and strategies architects can employ to address this. Each part of Right to the City can be taken as an individual course.

Growing US cities face escalating housing costs, residential and commercial displacement, homelessness, and the suburbanization of poverty. As increasing numbers of households are pushed out of the city by rising housing costs, they are burdened with long commutes and increased transportation costs while their carbon emissions escalate. These challenges are exacerbated by a deeply embedded policy—single-family zoning—that accounts for 75% or more of the land area allotted for housing in many fast-growing US cities. Part 2 of this two-part series outlines policies implemented at the city and state levels to make existing single-family neighborhoods more inclusive, equitable, walkable, and sustainable. It illustrates innovative case studies at the building scale to increase access to these neighborhoods for both renters and homeowners. In addition, it reviews efforts by architects and AIA chapters to address this issue despite the controversy that surrounds it. Each part of Right to the City can be taken as an individual course.

This course focuses on practice management from the perspective of supporting both public welfare and client interests through enhanced service delivery. The emphasis on public welfare is critically important because architects, as professionals and service providers, must prefer client interests over their own, and when the issues are clear, they must prefer public interests over both. This suggests that, if circumstances warrant, architects must raise client values to align them with public values. Indeed, the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct implores members to “promote and serve the public interest.” So how can architects and their practices best operationalize professional obligations to clients and the public? They can engage in the following strategies that are discussed in the course: Provide public interest professional services. Share practice knowledge and experience with colleagues and the public. Conduct practice-based research. Investigate emerging technologies. Cultivate firm culture that supports learning and innovation and includes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives. Collaborate effectively to facilitate client and stakeholder relations.