Work Programmes

The UIA Architecture and Children Work Programme aims to raise awareness among children of the built environment, architecture, urbanism and sustainable development. Fostering their knowledge in these fields will ensure their development as responsible citizens, able to make their voices heard and influence the political, economic and social strategies that will shape their cities and their environment.

The UIA Architecture for All [AfA] Work Programme raises awareness of the architect’s responsibility to ensure that accessibility and inclusive design are essential components of architectural design, construction and education. The programme promotes good practice in accessible and inclusive urban design and architecture.

Working in collaboration with the UNESCO-CIMES Chair and other international organizations (UN-HABITAT, UCLG and others), the Architecture, Cities and Territories Work Programme endeavors to strengthen the strategic relationship between urban planners and architects, with a special focus on intermediate cities.

The UIA Community Architecture Programme is dedicated to advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a particular emphasis on Goal 11: Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. With current estimations stating that by 2030, two thirds of the world’s population will live in cities, it is essential that urban environments develop in harmony with the UN guiding principles. This Work Programme aims to ensure that Architects are mindful of the Sustainable Development Goals in all the projects that they undertake.

The UIA Educational and Cultural Spaces Work Programme observes the evolution of educational spaces in connection with the educational experience, as well as their social impact and role. The Programme analyses how architecture may respond to specific conditions, cultural needs and education systems, with a focus on the methodology of the design of schools in different countries and conditions. This work will act as a tool for politicians and decision makers to develop improved guidelines and legislation on the subject.

The UIA Heritage and Cultural Identity Work Programme promotes methods for the conservation of architectural heritage and works to protect existing and future heritage and cultural sites from natural disasters. The Programme engages in questions of urban and sustainable development, rehabilitation, renovation and conservation of existing sites, striving to establish high international standards for good practice.

The UIA Indigenous Peoples Work Programme aims to foster and promote the value of design and architecture based on Indigenous Knowledge. The UIA Indigenous Peoples Work Programme will provide the global architectural community with the knowledge, skills, and resources to advocate for and work in collaboration with Indigenous communities for a better world for all.

A great number of informal settlements upgrading experiences have been developed in several countries, with a significant presence of architects. Professional performance ranges from leading global projects to the development of specific projects for a given area. As a result, it is possible to observe in these areas that are undergoing transformations, a significant improvement in the quality of public spaces and the quality of life of residents.

These experiences need to be shared at an international level, in order to constitute a collection of good practices that may contribute to the exercise of this professional attribution. We have many publications on good practices, but we need to disseminate how to do it, what are the difficulties and how to overcome them. Likewise, we need to create a repertoire of examples already implemented with their due results, because the monitoring and evaluation of results are essential for sharing good practices.

The UIA Human and Natural Disasters Work Programme serves as a gatherer of know-how on crisis management and a conduit for architects to become better prepared to engage in mobilisation to assist those who need help and are seeking. As climate change significantly affects our world with a potential increase of global unbalance of wealth and resource distribution, and as nations continue to wage internal and external conflicts, this Work Programme’s objective stands for raising the conscience and prepare our profession to become more engaged with the scope of disaster management.

The UIA Public Health Group helps members of the design professions understand and accept their responsibility to create places that protect health, develop better health and restore health once it is impaired.  Every project by every professional in every practice impacts the health of the people who use it, which means that the work of the Public Health Group is relevant and useful to every architect in every Member Section of the UIA – and the world.  Recent experience with COVID-19 has reinforced in our minds the impact that design can have on our health and on the spread of disease.

The UIA Public Spaces Work Programme studies previously neglected sites that have been renovated to provide for contemporary needs.

The successful restoration of public spaces requires sensitivity, perception and experimentation with the tangible and intangible nature of the site, through light, colour and rhythm. The result should interact with the users of the space, contributing to their overall well-being and quality of life.

Social inequality is becoming increasingly visible, especially in the urban environment, where people from various social strata live in close proximity. The increase in social inequality in urban areas has been shown to have a direct correlation with homelessness, unemployment, social deprivation, and health problems. The UIA Social Habitat Work Programme works to investigate these problems from an architectural standpoint, and to start implementing positive social action within the architectural community.

The UIA Sports and Leisure Work Programme promotes quality sport and Olympic facilities at an international level, through the collective expertise of its members. This UIA Work Programme is implicated in decision-making processes for, amongst others, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, FIFA, IAAF, FINA, and UCI.