October Section Meeting: Resiliency Hub Panel

Description:

Resilience Hubs are designed to support residents during times of disaster and help improve daily life during non-emergency times. In this panel discussion, local leaders, community organizers, and design professionals will come together to share their work on developing Resilience Hubs in the City of Asheville. Panelists will highlight current initiatives, challenges, and opportunities surrounding these hubs, including their role in disaster preparedness, equitable resource distribution, and long-term community resilience. The conversation will also explore the critical role that architects and designers can play in supporting and strengthening this infrastructure from physical design to systems thinking and stakeholder coordination.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the purpose and core functions of Resilience Hubs, and how they are being developed to meet the specific needs of communities.
• Identify the roles of community organizations, local government, and residents in planning and operating Resilience Hubs to support public health, safety, and welfare during both emergencies and everyday life.
• Examine strategies for inclusive engagement and cross-sector collaboration that ensure Resilience Hubs are designed and managed by and for the communities they serve.
• Explore best practices and case studies from local and national efforts that illustrate how community-driven Resilience Hubs can increase equitable access to resources, strengthen neighborhood networks, and build long-term resilience.

Panelists:

• Devon Hutton, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, GGA, GGP, NCARB- Facilitator, AIA WNC 2026 President Elect, &
• Kiera Bulan-
• Keynon Lake- My Daddy Taught Me That, Founder & Director
• Chris Joyell- , Director &
• Kate Pett- Program Director

Host or Publisher AIA Western Northern Carolina