ADPSR was originally established in 1981 as a 501(c)3 public-benefit organization to promote nuclear disarmament and correct the imbalances caused by military excesses overshadowing domestic needs. Throughout the 1980s, ADPSR initiated numerous peace projects including peace parks, conferences, traveling exhibits, and citizen diplomacy exchange programs with the former Soviet Union. Since 1990, ADPSR has focused much of its effort on ecologically and socially responsible development. The Northern California Chapter has focused on ecological architecture and sustainable development, with a "Building Ecology" lecture series in San Francisco for over a decade and an annual tradeshow of ecological construction. Other ADPSR projects include the facilitation of citizen participation in local and regional planning, low-income housing advocacy, and participate as an NGO in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT).
