Start Date
6-10-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
8-10-2025 7:00 PM
Description
This paper examines a community visioning process conducted by design researchers from 3x3, a community-centered design practice, in collaboration with a local government in Eastern Pennsylvania. The municipal government sought to create a new community facility to address the needs of a town shaped by cultural, social, and economic differences, while celebrating the diversity within the community. We discuss the design research methods used to engage residents in defining the facility’s purpose, programming, and spatial features. Additionally, we reflect on building trust, facilitating cross-community dialogue, and balancing equity and impact in public investments. The paper highlights the evolving role of the community-centered practitioner, shifting from experts to active learners and connectors who bridge community knowledge. By creating tools that embrace ambiguity, designers can foster more equitable participation and collective imagination. The paper aims to provide practical insights for designers, researchers, planners, and policymakers on how design can lead to power sharing and place-based belonging.
Citation
Vaqueiro, L., Karolak, G.,and Jain, P.(2025) Lessons from a Community Facility: Enacting a Philosophy of Practice in Local Diverse Communities... https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/servdes/servdes2025/researchpapers/66
Lessons from a Community Facility: Enacting a Philosophy of Practice in Local Diverse Communities.
This paper examines a community visioning process conducted by design researchers from 3x3, a community-centered design practice, in collaboration with a local government in Eastern Pennsylvania. The municipal government sought to create a new community facility to address the needs of a town shaped by cultural, social, and economic differences, while celebrating the diversity within the community. We discuss the design research methods used to engage residents in defining the facility’s purpose, programming, and spatial features. Additionally, we reflect on building trust, facilitating cross-community dialogue, and balancing equity and impact in public investments. The paper highlights the evolving role of the community-centered practitioner, shifting from experts to active learners and connectors who bridge community knowledge. By creating tools that embrace ambiguity, designers can foster more equitable participation and collective imagination. The paper aims to provide practical insights for designers, researchers, planners, and policymakers on how design can lead to power sharing and place-based belonging.