Architect 2014-07.pdf

AIANOW
across the institute
By William Richards
2 Outdoorsy. This isn’t the first time we’ve rapidly
urbanized. Industrialization and immigration 150 years
ago grew cities, sanitation efforts, and mass transit
systems. It was also the birth of the American parks and
rec movement. In the spirit of that legacy, the National
Recreation and Park Association’s 2014 Congress
(Oct. 14–16) focuses on wellness and social equity.
n
Learn more at nrpa.org.
1 Counter Weights. Today 93 million
Americans struggle with obesity, which
the Center for Disease Control qualifies as
a “common, serious, and costly” trend.
Limited access to treatment, poor prevention
awareness, and weight bias are only some
of the hurdles that face affected individuals.
Evidence-based reformers like the Obesity
Action Coalition hope to reverse these
trends, notably, through design, at
its third annual Your Weight Matters
National Convention in Orlando
(Sept. 25–28).
n Learn more at obesityaction.org.
37
july 2014
3 Great Lakes Green.
AIA Michigan’s Green
Health Summit centers on
how design can encourage
better individual health
and elevate the quality of
public health. Speakers
include UCLA’s Dr. Richard
Jackson; Municipal Art
Society of New York’s
Margaret Newman,
FAIA; and AIA Design and
Health’s Bill Roschen, FAIA.
“Making the Healthy Choice
the Easy Choice” will be
held in Lansing on Sept. 8.
n
Learn more at aiami.com.
art direction: jelena schulz | illustration: lauren nassef.
5 Improvement and Equity. Science contributes to wellness, but public
wellness isn’t just science. It’s about hard-fought social, economic,
and design battles undertaken by physicians, legislators, city planners,
and architects. To that end, the American Public Health Association’s
platform is simple: Improve public health and achieve equity in health
status. Its annual meeting and expo (New Orleans, Nov. 15–19) offers
more than 5,000 papers, full- and half-day workshops, and a film
festival to marry quantitative data and qualitative advocacy.
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Learn more at apha.org.
4 A Week of Outreach. Obesity
Week (Nov. 2–7, Boston) is a
chance for the American Society for
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and
the Obesity Society to meet. It’s also
a chance to raise awareness about
a disease that affects more than
20 percent of the U.S. population.
Partner symposia, video sessions,
and over 100 learning-track events
will bring together evidence-based
design, cutting-edge research, and
public advocacy.
n
Learn more at obesityweek.com.