Pete Buttigieg Urges Architects to Rebuild Trust in a Divided America
At AIA’s 2025 Conference on Architecture in Boston, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined AIA President Evelyn Lee for a conversation about the powerful local role architects play in reconnecting communities during a time of national uncertainty.
Reflecting on his work as mayor and transportation secretary, Buttigieg spoke about infrastructure’s dual power to unite or divide—pointing to communities physically split by highways, like Philadelphia’s Chinatown, and how design can help heal those divides. “We need to bring as much imagination as possible to what we do next,” he said.
He called this a “delicate time” for the country, urging architects to lead with empathy, creativity, and a focus on real-world connection. “Architects are the stewards of those overlapping circles of belonging,” he said, emphasizing their ability to restore trust and shape how people interact—offline, in real space, where true community happens.
“We need to bring as much imagination as possible to what we do next.” – Pete Buttigieg, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Buttigieg also discussed technology’s impact on smaller communities and the importance of policy-driven choices in how new tools like AI and smart infrastructure are used. In all of this, he stressed the importance of truth, connection, and design that serves the public good.