2026 AIA President Illya Azaroff, FAIA, will address hundreds of municipal leaders at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 94th Annual Meeting, in Long Beach, California, highlighting how architects can support communities to prepare for disasters, strengthen resilience, and plan for long-term growth.

Azaroff will headline the plenary session, Mitigating Disasters and Fostering Resilient Communities, with moderator Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska.  Azaroff will discuss key considerations for mayors as they plan for the next disaster.  

Architects and mayors share common goals in creating stronger, safer, and more vibrant communities. AIA continues to expand its partnership with USCM by highlighting programs and architects' expertise that help local leaders leverage design to address community challenges and opportunities. At the USCM meeting, AIA announced the publication of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilient Cities Report, which highlights how mayors and architects develop strategies to protect lives, strengthen community bonds, and build systems that can thrive despite the threat of disaster. AIA and USCM partnered to produce the report, that also examines new financing models, including Gross Ecosystem Product, or GEP, which measures the full value ecosystems provide to human well-being.
 
Access the report.

As part of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, AIA is inviting mayors to share stories about the buildings and places that define their communities through video recordings on site at the meeting. The purpose of this project is to highlight the shared architectural heritage and celebrate a legacy of design that reflects our country’s diversity, innovative spirit, and growth. 

AIA encourages mayors to participate in ‘Architect for a Day,’ which introduces elementary school students to design thinking and careers in architecture. The joint program with USCM is coordinated start to finish by AIA and features hands-on activities and age-appropriate leave-behinds for students and teachers making the program seamless to implement.

By engaging directly with mayors from across the country, AIA is elevating the role of architects as strategic partners in community leadership. The meeting provides a unique platform to showcase how design can help cities become more resilient, equitable, and economically vibrant while creating new opportunities for architects to contribute their expertise in service of the public good.

Learn more about how civic leaders partner with architects to strengthen communities.