The building industry must look ahead and press forward with visionary and pragmatic initiatives that will enhance the built environment and protect public safety and national security.

Large public venues have more demanding security programs than most buildings because these iconic structures are often considered terrorist targets. With sound planning and preparation, they can also be safe havens during a disaster.

The astronomical cost of rebuilding the World Trade Center site has left New Yorkers facing an $18 billion redevelopment project without a clear schedule or budget on the horizon.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is awarding more than $3 billion in grants to states and localities, with several million allocated toward the threat of improvised explosive devices, including everything from radios to hazmat suits. Meanwhile, the U.K. is working with architects, engineers, and private industry to advance education and research on blast-resistant design and materials.

Without a single security building code in the United States, building owners, design professionals, and public officials rely on best practices and industry standards. Only New York City amended the City Building Code after 9/11 to reflect building performance. In April 2008, the buildings commissioner who led that effort resigned, and Mayor Bloomberg wants to remove the provision that her successor must be a licensed architect or professional engineer.

The latest directives from the U.K.'s Home Office urge architects to design terror-proof buildings, complete with panic rooms, concrete, and steel blockades; however, the American perspective from the public and private sectors is typically one that integrates transparent security with design excellence, openness, and blast-resistant design.

The latest U.S. Government Accountability Office report on embassy security says that several U.S. embassies remain vulnerable to attack and fail to meet key security standards. Finding the balance between security and openness remains the ongoing challenge for embassy design, as for so many other civic buildings, public venues, and iconic structures around the world.

Elected officials from across the political spectrum recognize the need to secure federal funding for rebuilding infrastructure and enhancing public safety

The renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act will provide building owners and the buildings industry with a safety net for reconstruction and recovery after a terrorist attack

By Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA