World Architecture Day 2021: Joining Forces For a Healthy World

The World Architecture Day is a global celebration held traditionally on the first Monday of October. It was first celebrated by the International Union of Architects in 1985. The date was chosen because it’s the UN’s celebration of World Habitat Day. Each year, the UIA chooses a theme to inspire events and activities. This year’s theme is “Clean environment for a healthy world”.

This theme hopes to provide useful and inspiring elements to the global conversation on the 2030 development agenda. Its main focuses will be housing, public spaces and their connection with climate change. These issues need urgent attention and it’s important to join forces to find both local-specific solutions and global initiatives. Housing is a crucial priority: according to UNHabitat, more than 1.8 billion people in the world are homeless or do not have adequate housing, by 2030 it’s estimated that this will affect 40% of the world’s population. It’s practically impossible to access other rights if this basic one is not covered. 

The second issue proposed by UIA concerns Public Spaces YOU SHOULD READ Public Space and its Role in the Fight Against COVID-19. The pandemic has placed this aspect as a central concern within urban planning. The creation of adequate and accessible public spaces is important for the population’s wellbeing, and of course, the participation of all the architecture community is necessary in order to achieve this.

Finally, the climate crisis completes the agenda for this day’s efforts. The UN’s Environment Program states that 75% of global CO2 emissions are the responsibility of the cities. The challenges for urbanism are big and complex: it’s time to imagine new ways to inhabit the cities and to carry on with our lives without annihilating our natural resources in the process. 

Each region’s approach to these issues will be truly valuable to imagine the different efforts that can be executed and in hope of a global impulse that truly does make the difference. The UIA invites architects and architecture students from around the world to develop their own activities based on these themes, in a global initiative towards greener and more sustainable architectural practices. 

The UIA will host a World Architecture Day Webinar, you can register here: https://www.uia-architectes.org/webApi/en/news/uia-world-architecture-day-webinar.html

YOU MUST READ 3 Events to Celebrate Architecture During October

• World Architecture Day 2021, International Union of Architects, http://zvin.mjt.lu/nl2/zvin/usrgt.html?b=959cdd0e&e=8af5ce88&m=AU8AADuBi6YAAcsvoagAAAPHZiIAAUG3dzwAnHYmAAX_PwBhOdoMWYUNAKuOT5mdZHh1kbP-zAAFvp4&x=ScEPJulRla3eDIqawf2QZcSuSdxLD4_rcl8kb3JwM80