Mike --
We as a profession have already unwittingly defined, and thus limited our role within society. In a conversation with a member for the general public, introducing yourself as an architect results in questions about what buildings you have worked on and if you do kitchen remodels; introduce yourself as a designer, the follow up question is often ”what do you design?”.
Our role is as a profession responsible for bringing ideas for a healthier built environment into harmonious existence with existing natural systems/environments (this includes human behavior/wellbeing). Arguably, we have the most important role within society as the built environment affects everyone, to some degree, throughout their lives: shelter, safety, transportation, comfort are all results of a designer’s (not necessarily a trained architect’s) efforts.
I would be very hesitant about calling an architect an “expert” on the relationship between humans and the built environment. Such a definition limits who we are as a profession and moves us further from our role as social, environmental, community, and urban innovators (feel free to expand this grossly simplified list). Many of us focus on such small, but critical niches of design that to call ourselves experts on human-built environment relationship is far from the reality and would only serve to further mislead the general public and also limit the scope of our thinking.
I would indeed be interested in knowing more about Group 7 and their efforts to date.
Respectfully -- James Erickson