2021 showed the power of policy, codes, and regulations in the United States and around the world

For reasons both tragic and optimistic, 2021 was a year where regulations and policy were never far from the media spotlight. While this is true for instance due to the overhanging impact of COVID-19 on everything from school operations to international travel, 2021 was also a year that saw both an evolution and reflection on the laws underpinning the design, construction, and operation of the built environment. Where tragedies such as the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Miami and the anniversary of the collapse of the WTC Twin Towers in New York caused us to reflect on the role of building code in making architecture safer, the ever-apparent threats of climate change and housing shortages caused both state and federal governments to propose new measures enhancing resiliency in the AEC sector. To further explore this point, we have set out the key developments and stories throughout 2021 which showed the power of policy, codes, and regulations in architecture — be it at a fe...