The Weekly Commitment: Why Showing Up Is AIA's Recipe for October

By Danielle DiLeo Kim, AIA
President, AIA Philadelphia

Last month my husband and I went to hear celebrity chef Samin Nosrat, author and host of the popular cookbook and Netflix series, Salt Fat Acid Heat, speak about her latest book, Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook. Unfortunately, the conversation did not include a tasting. Instead, she shared morsels on the importance of rituals and gathering.

Samin described the recipes in her new book that she and a close group of friends prepared and shared together over the last five years of gathering every single Monday night. Not once a month or once a quarter. Every. Week. She and her friends made a commitment to show up for one another and be engaged every week. That’s a ritual. 

As I reflect on the topic of “engagement” for AIA Philadelphia's October newsletter, Samin’s weekly meal sharing has really stuck with me. I left the event wistfully wishing I had a ritual like that... and then realized I can. It’s based on what I choose—or choose not—to do. And that’s true for you, too.

All of our social lives were deeply disrupted during the pandemic. As a whole, we are less active and engaged than we were six years ago because the ways and places to engage have changed. Since virtual and hybrid settings consume a lot of in-person activities there’s a lot less casual socializing. Studies have shown that Americans are lonely—at home and at work—and too many young men are in crisis because of it.

AIA Philadelphia is your ritual. It’s the place you can commit to showing up every week, month, or quarter. And right now, there are three clear ways to jump in and make that commitment:

1. Speak Up for Architecture and Our World

Your voice matters, and the issues affecting our profession and communities are urgent.

• ACT NOW: Join the more than 5,000 architects who have sent a letter to their Senators and Representatives urging an investigation into the destruction of the White House. 
• Tell AIA National What You Think: Take AIA National’s survey on government affairs and policy issues affecting the architectural profession. 
• Be Bold: Take a stand for an issue you really care about. As Desmond Tutu famously said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." A lot is on the line right now.

2. Refuel Your Commitment to Community

Need inspiration to start gathering? Check out these resources:

• Design Meaningful Gatherings: Grab a copy of Priya Parker’s go-to primer on designing meaningful meetings, events, and even spaces in The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. (P.S. I employed some of her suggestions at a brunch I hosted for AIA Philadelphia’s women principals in September, where we celebrated, shared challenges, and helped each other through conversation and good food—almost as good as Samin’s.)
• Read & Reflect: Read this NYT article about how the importance of JUST SHOWING UP builds community.
• Explore Urbanism: Check out my friend and fellow urbanist author, Diana Lind’s recent Substack, The New Urban Order, blog post called Do We Need a Placemaking Movement For Young Men?

3. Show Up to Your AIA

This is the easiest way to make a weekly or monthly commitment to your profession and your colleagues.

• Celebrate the Best: Buy a ticket to this year’s Design Awards! In addition to top-notch building design, we’re celebrating the Special Award winners who deeply engage in practice, research, advocacy, education, and service—people like Lea Litwin AIA, James Timberlake FAIA, Stephen Kieran FAIA, Rashida Ng, Inga Saffron, and Aanda Studio. I hope to see you there!
• Visit the Future: STAY TUNED for upcoming information about AIA & Design Philadelphia’s new home at the Village of Industry & Art in 2026!

Of course, there are dozens of things to do every weekend in Philadelphia and the region. We have access to world class museums, parks, festivals, exhibits, and sporting events all around us. I encourage you to do something you’ve been meaning to do—and just do it, with a friend!

My last suggestion? Invite a few friends over and cook Samin’s Spatchcock Chicken with Potatoes like my husband and I recently did. It’s an amazingly simple meal that’s perfect for a cool, fall evening when time is on your side, and the stories and wine are flowing.

Let me know how you like it.

In community,

Danielle