Sustainability Committee awarded the 2009 AIA SDAT Grant

A bit earlier than we anticipated but we are thrilled to announce that the Sustainability Committee application for the 2009 Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) grant has been accepted!

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) SDAT program is a community assistance program that focuses on the principles of sustainability. SDATs bring teams of volunteer professionals (such as architects, urban designers, planners, hydrologists, economists, attorneys, and others) to work with community decision-makers and stakeholders to help them develop a vision and framework for a sustainable future.

The SDAT process helps communities:
• understand their structure at various scales and contexts;
• explore interactions between ecological, sociological, economic, and physical systems;
• visualize potential futures;
• articulate the qualities of a place;
• advance the principles of sustainable communities; and
• define the role of stakeholders and players in both the public and private sectors.

The SDAT community assistance program provides communities with six components:
* Preliminary visit
* Three-day visit from a multidisciplinary team
* A report highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the community with regard to sustainability, along with the opportunities and obstacles to change
* Consultations after a three-day visit
* A conference call six months after delivery of the assessment report to review progress
* One-day follow-up visit to complete a secondary assessment, one year after the SDAT report is delivered
* A team of architects and other professionals such as planners, hydrologists, economic development specialists, and others are selected for each multidisciplinary SDAT team based on their credentials and the specific needs of each community. The team works in conjunction with local stakeholders to help shape the community’s strategy to increase sustainability. In order to provide the most objective assessment, the team members are from outside the particular communities.

For 2008, the AIA will fund $15,000 of each project and communities are expected to raise the remainder, including a $5,000 cash contribution.

This is an exciting opportunity to support the community greening strategy already in development as part of our mandate as the Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. Thank you to all of our supporters -- we will release more information once it is available. To check out the application, go to this SlideShare presentation. Happy New Year!