The six-state American Institute of Architects Western Mountain Region, established in 1959, is comprised of the AIA State Components of Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. These states take turns every year to host the annual regional conference. Join us in Albuquerque for visionary discussions about Design, Leadership, Sustainability, and Advocacy! The last day of the Summit is the first day of Albuquerque's International Balloon Fiesta, a great time to visit!
Advocacy: The Latest Architecture and News
AIA Emphatically Urges Looser Credit, Notes 30% Drop in Architectural Employment Since 2008
The AIA has issued a “comprehensive look yet at the built environment’s role in economic recovery, highlighting six specific policy steps that will generate jobs and help grow the American economy.” Coming on the eve of President Obama’s major jobs initiative, the report cites George Mason University economist Stephen J. Miller in arguing that every $1 million in new construction spending supports “28.5 full-time, year-round-equivalent jobs.”
Miller and the AIA blame tight credit markets blocking potential progress in this area. The publication, “The Built Environment’s Role in the Recovery,” is issued with this problem in mind. “We’re putting these recommendations forward now because it’s time for the Administration and Congress to get real about creating an environment in which people are willing to lend and borrow,” said AIA President Clark Manus, FAIA, quoted in a recent AIA press release. “When credit flows to worthy projects, it unleashes the job creation potential of the American economy.”