23 Small City Anchor Institutions • Feature • Bohannon they wanted, not just what they were reacting to. At the heart of this work is a recognition that communities are experts in their own places. Municipal staff bring deep operational knowledge, and residents bring lived experience. Academic institutions contribute by structuring processes that bring those forms of expertise together and by using design research to redistribute power in decision-making. Research becomes not just a way of understanding problems, but a way of building trust and aligning action. So when I think about how academic institutions can help translate research into practice, I don’t see that as a linear process. I see it as a collaborative, placebased effort, one where design research helps communities and municipalities learn together, expand the range of what feels possible, and move toward Community Design. Apalachicola, Florida. UVA School of Architecture.
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