• home
  • chevron_right
  • Courses
  • chevron_right
  • The Architect’s Role in Advancing Sustainable Urbanization Worldwide

The Architect’s Role in Advancing Sustainable Urbanization Worldwide

AIAU26-GPC02R
Included in subscription Included in subscription
1 LU
Course expires on: 03/10/2029
$30
Architect$30

Member Price

$45

Non-member Price

Sign in to purchase chevron_right

Description

As cities across the globe face mounting pressures from rapid population growth, climate change, and resource scarcity, architects are uniquely positioned to lead the charge toward sustainable urbanization. This course examines how design professionals can go beyond traditional building design to shape resilient, inclusive, and ecologically sound urban environments. With a panel of experts sharing experience in master planning projects across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, the session will highlight how architects can serve as strategic partners in master planning, infrastructure integration, and cross-sector collaboration. Through real-world project insights, participants will gain a practical understanding of how to advocate for sustainable outcomes at both building and urban scales in vastly different cultural, climatic, and regulatory contexts.

This session was recorded live on April 15, 2026.

Learning Objectives

check

Identify the architect’s expanded role in shaping sustainable urban development across diverse global contexts.

check

Analyze regional challenges and opportunities related to climate, density, policy, and culture in urban design projects across different continents.

check

Apply integrative design strategies that promote social equity, environmental performance, and long-term resilience in urban settings.

check

Leverage cross-sector collaboration with developers, engineers, and policymakers to align design vision with sustainable infrastructure planning.

Presented in partnership with the Global Practice Committee.

 

Instructors
Christopher Pumford

Christopher Pumford is a Manager of International Affairs at the American Institute of Architects. Prior to coming to AIA, Christopher was a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a Fulbright lecturer in Rabat, Morocco. Christopher obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Tufts University Fletcher School. 

Amanda Bryant
Assoc. AIA

Amanda Bryant is an urban designer in the Netherlands, with eight years of international experience in both architecture and urban design. Her work is grounded in a strong sense of social responsibility and a passion for integrating architecture within the public realm. Amanda is an active member of AIA Continental Europe, where she chairs the Emerging Professionals Committee and co-leads the chapter’s International Mentorship program. She earned her master’s degree from TU Delft in 2018, where her thesis on the spatial effects of automobile dependence was recognized by AIA Continental Europe. Drawing from her professional experience in the Netherlands, Amanda often collaborates with professionals across borders to share expertise and shape inclusive and meaningful public spaces.

Li Ren
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Li Ren is a globally licensed architect, educator, and researcher specializing in international architectural practice and sustainable urban development. With professional experience across the United States, East Asia, and the Middle East, his work examines how architects operate across diverse cultural, climatic, and regulatory contexts to advance resilient and inclusive cities. 

Li has contributed to large-scale hospitality, senior living, and mixed-use developments across North America and the Middle East, with a focus on complex project delivery and cross-border collaboration. He previously served as President of AIA Middle East and Chair of the AIA Global Practice Committee, engaging in global professional policy, education, and sustainability initiatives. In parallel with practice, Li teaches and lectures internationally on global practice models, sustainability, and career development for internationally trained design professionals. 

Lanre Olusola

Olanrewaju Olusola is recently engaged by PMI in sub-Saharan Africa as Business Development Lead and Partner Success Manager for PMI-CP, to promote the gold-standard certification in the AEC industry, building a critical mass of certified construction professionals in all sectors of the built environment and across all stakeholders, that measure up to global standards. He led Creation Consult Inc. from 2002 to 2025, having been a Project Lead with Habitat Associates for upward of 14 years, executing various housing, urban development, and Real Estate projects North of the Niger. With 38 years in practice of environmental design, development and project management, he has a diverse range of professional experiences in key industry sectors, including being QC and Project Manager on the US Embassy NOX in Abuja, under the Overseas Building Operation of US Department of State, as well as iconic developmental projects in Nigeria. 
• Pioneer President of AIA Sub-Saharan Africa 2024-2026 • Member of Global Practice Committee of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2024-2025 • Member of Professional Practice Commission of International Union of Architects (UIA) • Regional Director, UIA Architecture for All Work Programme • At-Large Director of AIA International, with oversight of Africa and South Asia.

Similar courses

card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Design for Equitable Communities: AIA Framework for Design Excellence
This interactive self-paced course introduces the Design for Equitable Communities principle of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. It includes perspectives from planners and architects on how to create more equitable places through design processes and strategies. The Design for Equitable Communities principle provides architects and design professionals guidance on how to enter every project ready to listen to and elevate the voices of those who are most impacted by the spaces they create. This course provides examples from the field as to how others are already creating more equitable outcomes through architectural practice. These outcomes include creating spaces where everyone can actively participate in the envisioning, design, and creation of projects. Focusing on inclusivity through participation can help reduce the inequity that exists between communities, encourage self-determination, and improve the quality of life for everyone. Course expires on 10/4/2026.

1.50 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
The Built Environment’s Carbon Challenge
Learn actionable strategies to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change through sustainable design and construction practices in the AEC industry. Gain a comprehensive understanding of carbon’s impact on the environment, explore the critical role of the built environment in global emissions, and learn practical methods to reduce both operational and embodied carbon in design and construction. Key topics include the principles of embodied, operational and avoided carbon, energy-efficient and passive design strategies, and sustainable material selection. The course also covers critical U.S. policies and frameworks such as LEED certifications, federal and local regulations, and AIA 2030 Commitment—equipping professionals with the knowledge to navigate evolving sustainability standards while leading decarbonization efforts.

2 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Buildings and Energy
This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series, presents the fundamental physics of power and energy and discusses how and where buildings use energy. Topics addressed include the impacts of buildings using energy, measuring power and energy, energy flows in the United States, buildings and the electricity grid, reading an electricity bill, and energy codes. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

1.25 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Zero Energy Buildings
This session from The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series, is on zero energy buildings introduces their foundational terminology, concepts, and strategies. Topics covered include defining zero energy, understanding site energy vs. source energy, the cost of zero energy buildings, setting goals, historically informed architecture, and passive design strategies. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

1.25 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Building Envelope
This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series discusses thermodynamics and the laws of heat transfer and the application of these concepts to buildings to show how, where, and why heat flows through walls. Topics addressed include Fourier's Law, R-values and insulation, windows and fenestration, infiltration, control layers, and commissioning.   The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

2 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
HVAC Systems
This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series explains why and how to provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to buildings. Beginning with a discussion of various efficiency metric and ending with an examination of thermal energy storage, additional topics in this session include COP, SEER. and EERs, heating systems, heat pumps, load calculations, ventilation air, water heating science and technologies, and controls.   The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

1.25 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Lighting
This session from the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is an introduction to lighting technologies and their energy impacts. Topics include the history of lighting, lighting technology comparisons, essential terms and definitions, and practical lighting applications. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

1 LU|HSW
card_membership Included in subscription
Included in subscription
Plug Loads
This focused nano-session of the The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series discusses plug, process, and other miscellaneous loads in a building to demonstrate why they are an important part of the design problem. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Building Science Education series is designed to educate students and working professionals on building science principles that are paramount to the successful design of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. AIAU offers architects and design professionals courses that aim to educate on: Brought to you in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

.5 LU|HSW