The Mayors’ Institute on City Design
The Mayors’ Institute on City Design is a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in partnership with the American Architectural Foundation and the United States Conference of Mayors. Since 1986, MICD has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. More than 850 mayors nationwide have participated in the program.
Sustainable Cities Design Academy
To help support and advance good sustainable design practices, the American Architectural Foundation, in partnership with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), created the Sustainable Cities Design Academy (SCDA). This initiative provides leadership development and technical assistance to local community leaders who are engaged in planning sustainable building projects in their community.
City Managers’ Design Academy
The City Managers’ Design Academy is the newest initiative of the Center for Design & the City. Through a generous donation from the Edward W. Rose, III Fund of the Dallas Foundation, CMDA supports leadership development and technical assistance for city managers and other civic leaders across the United States.
Accent on Architecture Gala
For the past 25 years, national leaders in design, government, and education have gathered in Washington, DC, for this black-tie event hosted by the American Architectural Foundation. With a program rich in ideas, the Gala has become the nation’s premier celebration of leadership in architecture and urban design. The 25th annual Gala took place on April 24, 2014 at the historic Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.
Keystone Award
Presented by the American Architectural Foundation, the Keystone Award is an annual national award that honors an individual or organization from outside the field of architecture for exemplary leadership that increases the value of architecture and design in our culture. Chicago Architecture Foundation was honored as the eleventh Keystone laureate in 2014.
Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award for Leadership in Urban Design
In 2010, the American Architectural Foundation and the United States Conference of Mayors created the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award for Leadership in Urban Design to recognize mayors whose commitment to excellence in urban design reflects the outstanding example set by the award’s namesake. Mayor Carolyn Goodman and former mayor Oscar Goodman received the 2014 Riley Award at the 25th Accent on Architecture Gala on April 24, 2014.
Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship
Since 1990, the Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship, co-sponsored by the American Architectural Foundation and the French Heritage Society, has offered mid-career American and French design professionals an intensive six-month exchange experience that showcases the latest scholarship and practice around historic preservation and architectural heritage. The Hunt Fellowship is named for Richard Morris Hunt, the first American architect to study at Paris’ renowned École des Beaux-Arts.
Design for Learning
An initiative to develop and advance knowledge, strategies, and solutions for supporting new modes of teaching and learning through architecture and design. At the heart of this initiative is the Design for Learning Council, which AAF is in the process of establishing. The Council will be composed of an influential cross-section of leaders in education, technology, philanthropy, and design.
George M. White Award
The award is named for the late George M. White, FAIA, retired architect of the Capitol, who, during his nearly 25-year tenure, oversaw key construction and restoration projects around the nation’s capital. On Thursday, October 11, 2012, the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) honored David M. Childs, FAIA, as the inaugural recipient of the George M. White Award for Excellence in Public Architecture at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.