FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nathalia Morales-Evanks AIA|Los Angeles Tel: 213.639.0763 Email: nathalia@aialosangeles.org www.aialosangeles.org

Los Angeles, CA September 13, 2011 How do we transform the health crisis into an opportunity to improve the design of our cities? What are some recent design innovations that allow architects and designers to become experts in preventative care by designing projects that encourage and facilitate healthier lifestyles? All these questions and more will be answered at the 2011 AIA|LA Design Symposium, "Designing Healthier Lifestyles: improving the health impacts on the built environment, which will be on October 7th at the Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium at the LAPD Police Administration Building. As part of AIA|LA's 4th annual Architecture Month in October, AIA|LA is working with the LA County Department of Health and the LA Department of City Planning to coordinate a forum to bring together architects, policy makers, planners, urban designers, developers and healthcare professionals to discuss innovative strategies, resources, tools and policies that can help create healthier communities. An evolving design/planning/health collaboration is vital to sustaining the momentum and political will for projects that can make our communities healthier, sustainable and economically resilient. As the health evidence continues to mount (obesity rates, obesity-related chronic diseases and costs associated with treating these diseases are all growing), how can transformations in the planning and design of our built environment help address this growing epidemic?

To RSVP, please click here: http://aialaoct7healthsymposium.eventbrite.com/ Speakers include: Jean Armbruster, MA - Director, LA County PLACE Program Hagy Belzberg, FAIA - Principal, Belzberg Architects Alina Bokde - Executive Director, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust Stuart Cohen - Executive Director, TransForm Kate Diamond, FAIA LEED AP - Principal, HMC Architects Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH - Director of Public Health and Health Officer, Department of Public Health, County of Los Angeles Regina M. Freer, PhD - Vice President, Los Angeles City Planning Commission; Professor, Occidental College Lark Galloway-Gilliam, MPA - Executive Director, Community Health Councils, Inc. Michael LoGrande - Director, Los Angeles Department of City Planning Bill Roschen, FAIA - President, Los Angeles City Planning Commission Carolyn Ramsey - Los Angeles Program Director, Trust for Public Land Faisal Roble - Senior City Planner, Los Angeles Department of City Planning Dr. Paul Simon - Director, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH); Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health Ryan Snyder - President, Ryan Snyder Associates, LLC Clive Wilkinson, AIA, RIBA - President & Design Director, Clive Wilkinson Architects Topics Include: Health & Design :: Bringing the Professions Together The Planning Perspective Complete Streets Designing Healthier Places: Case Studies that Make it Real

COMMUNITY PARTNERS: The American Planning Association - Los Angeles The Architect's Newspaper bikestation Cal Poly Pomona, College of Environmental Design CicLAvia Community Health Councils Council For Watershed Health Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust PLACE, LA County Project Frog, Inc. Public Health Law & Policy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy UCLA Complete Streets Initiative USGBC-LA Urban Land Institute - Los Angeles TransForm

Transportation for America Trust for Public Land For more information, please contact: Will Wright Director, Government & Public Affairs AIA Los Angeles Tel: (213) 639-0764 Email: will [at] aialosangeles.org About Architecture Month: In 2007, October was officially proclaimed Architecture Month by the City of Los Angeles. The emphasis will bring together diverse professional and public-interest groups, including AIA Los Angeles and a host of participating organizations, to celebrate the built environment and bring awareness of the importance of design to the community at large. For more information please go to: http://www.larchmonth.com

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