ABOUT
Established in 1977, the Association for Community Design (ACD) is a network of individuals, organizations, and institutions committed to increasing the capacity of planning and design professions to better serve communities. ACD serves and supports practitioners, educators, and organizations engaged in community-based design and planning.
ACD is incorporated as a 501(c)3 membership organization and is governed by a board of directors. Membership is open to both organizations and individuals. The modest dues collected by the ACD support an annual conference, program development, and the maintenance of this website.
Our Mission
To serve practitioners, educators, individuals and organizations engaged in community-based design and planning
Our Vision
Serve as the primary clearinghouse for community design practitioners, educators, and organizations
Advance research, education, and best practices in community design
Provide a national voice on policies that affect community design
Our Values
Equity & Justice: Advocating with those that have a limited voice in public life
Diversity: Promoting social equality through discourse that reflects a range of values and social identities
Participatory Decision-Making: Building structures for inclusion that engage stakeholders and allow communities to make decisions
Quality of Life: Advancing the right of every person to live in a socially, economically, and environmentally healthy community
Integrative Approach: Creating strategies that reach beyond the design of the built environment
Place-based Solutions: Generating ideas that grow from place and build local capacity
Design Excellence: Promoting the highest standards of quality in the design and construction of the built environment
