Simply visit the Virtual National Architecture Week page on Facebook to join the hundreds already signed up to discuss our collective architectural future, a particularly pressing issue as the nation decides how best to invest money from the Economic Recovery Act. With “shovel-ready” as the biggest buzzword around these days (though how long before its inverse, I’m coining it now—"hovel-ready"—starts nipping at its heels), input from average Americans and those in the building trade has never been more valuable. Plenty have already enrolled and have begun posting photos and comments in anticipation.

Here’s what the Facebook page has to say about the AIA’s goals for the week:

As the profession and the nation confront the pain of a serious downturn, the AIA is pursuing a number of initiatives on a broad front to provide resources to position architects as leaders in helping their communities engage in exploring opportunities to invest in a better future.

We are assembling knowledge resources and information about sustainability, architecture as a health issue, universal design and accessibility, historic preservation, transportation and infrastructure, and school construction to enable and inform a discussion about your community's options. Please share images of buildings, projects or examples of architecture that shape your community.

Each day of the week is organized around a different topic so be sure to log on to have your say on any of these themes:

Monday, the 13th - Community Revitalization
Tuesday, the 14th - School Construction
Wednesday, the 15th - Affordable Housing
Thursday, the 16th - Sustainability
Friday, the 17th - Inclusiveness
Saturday, the 18th - Historic Preservation
Sunday, the 19th - Future of the Profession

If you are not yet a social networking junkie, this could be your excuse to join and discover some of the reasons why virtual forums have real value and constructive possibilities in the realms of civic architecture, urban planning, and community activism.

Image (source):
Pocono Environmental Education and Visitor Center
Dingmans Ferry, PA
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Date completed: October 2005