Moving forward vs. standing still: How place can shape future success in education

I've worked with leaders at institutions of every type — kindergarten through higher education, large and small, public and private, thriving and struggling. Each conversation unfolds a little differently, shaped by context, culture and constraints. And yet, today the themes remain remarkably consistent... 

How do we prepare students for work and life? 

How do we reduce dependence on tuition and find new revenue models to reach our goals? 

How do we support student well-being in a meaningful way? 

How do we make room for new learning models and advances in technology? 

There's real effort behind answering these questions, and in many cases, real progress. Yet still, when I step back and look at the bigger picture, I find myself asking another, more uneasy question: “If we understand the challenges facing education so well, why are the results varying so widely from institution to institution?”

Systems built for a different era: the widening gap 

Some institutions are having great success in stabilizing their enrollment, strengthening industry partnerships and creating a clear sense of value for students and families. Others are struggling to gain traction even when conversations, discussions and priorities are essentially the same.  

Many are trying to respond to new expectations or new challenges within heavily ingrained systems, structures, governance models and operating assumptions that were shaped for a different era, under different economic and social conditions.  

Most leadership conversations naturally focus on adapting these inherited systems — strengthening what works, addressing gaps and managing risk. As a result, change often happens in pieces, or in stops and starts: a new program, partnership or building. Some of these efforts succeed; however, too often they remain disconnected and fail to ignite change at the scale needed to truly re-direct a precipitous fall. 

That widening gap between thriving institutions and struggling ones matters because it changes the conversation.

Using place to reimagine the education ecosystem 

As an architect, I've come to believe that one of the biggest differentiators between thriving and surviving is something that often gets overlooked: place. 

I don’t mean “placemaking,” either. What I mean is the literal ground under the feet of the people with whom I am speaking. When I look out of a conference room window on a campus, I don’t see a game-day parking lot or the interstitial space between buildings; I see an opportunity to generate something new.  

Place, in this context, is what institutions own — whether it be land, buildings or otherwise. Place presents the largest opportunity to optimize, develop and curate the experiences that will shape future success. 

Place can also become a feeling. It's what pulls a student back to the campus library on a Tuesday morning when nothing is required of them. It’s what makes a donor feel something before they sign a commitment to their alma mater. It’s what tells an accreditor, a grant committee or a prospective family that something special is happening here. 

This mindset allows us to fundamentally rethink how to break down and rebuild traditional, inherited educational models to capitalize on the physical "place" on which the institution sits. It allows leadership to step outside of typical constraints and begin to apply a more iterative, human-centered, systems-based approach to their futures.  

Many successful institutions are already capitalizing on the idea of place in new ways — activating underused campus spaces, creating stronger connections between campus and community and generating new sources of revenue through partnerships, mixed-use districts, housing, events and shared amenities.  

Those examples matter because they show what is possible. However, this opportunity is not limited to a small group of large or well-resourced institutions. Every institution — regardless of size, location or mission — has opportunities to think more intentionally about how place can support financial sustainability, strengthen partnerships and create greater value for students and communities. 

A new ecosystem seen through three lenses 

At CannonDesign, we see the future of the education ecosystem emerging through three lenses rooted in place: vitality, enterprise and community.  

These three lenses form the framework that can help institutions understand how physical environments, operational decisions and institutional priorities reinforce — or work against — one another. Together, they offer a more integrated way to align campus environments with the outcomes they are increasingly being asked to deliver.

Vitality: Designing for the whole student 

Most institutions are committed to supporting the whole student. This is not a new idea for us, either. We’ve long considered the concept of the whole student and have been exploring this ethos in our work for years. In practice, that support is often spread across separate systems — academic services, wellness resources and social spaces that operate independently. 

Through our work designing for MIND, BODY and SOUL, we’ve seen how deeply interconnected these systems are. Our experience with clients continues to reinforce that academic success is inseparable from mental, physical, emotional and social well-being. 

When it comes to place, campuses begin to function more effectively when academic, social and wellness environments are considered together. Libraries can support connections as much as study. Wellness becomes part of the academic experience. Informal spaces foster interaction and belonging throughout the day. 

Projects like the Valera NEST at California State University, Northridge, reflect this shift by bringing multiple dimensions of student life into a more cohesive experience.

Enterprise: Designing for longevity and resiliency 

Universities are reexamining how they sustain and extend their missions in a changing — and at times volatile — economic landscape. New partnership models, optimized renovation strategies, alternative delivery formats and diversified revenue streams are essential to long-term success. 

Education already functions as a powerful economic platform. Institutions generate talent, attract investment and shape regional economies. The bigger question is how intentionally we are designing for this enterprise. 

When approached more deliberately, different opportunities begin to take shape. Institutions can broaden their mission and strengthen financial resilience by integrating economic activity more thoughtfully into their existing frameworks — through research parks, healthcare villages, innovation districts, public/private partnerships and adaptive reuse of existing assets. 

Investments like the Chemistry Building at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee support talent pipelines essential to regional and national preparedness. 

Importantly, emerging measures of institutional success — such as outcomes-based frameworks within the Carnegie Classifications — are reinforcing this shift. Access, completion and postgraduation earnings increasingly sit alongside traditional indicators, underscoring the link between financial sustainability and student achievement.  

The work here is ongoing, and the models are still evolving. But what is clear is that institutions that design their enterprise role intentionally will be better positioned to adapt, invest and endure. 

Community: Catalysts for regional growth  

Educational institutions of all sizes and scales have long served as economic engines for their communities, both urban and rural alike. They're often among the largest employers in their regions, anchoring local economies while shaping vast future workforce pipelines. And there is a growing opportunity to approach this role more strategically.  

By aligning campus investments with regional needs — whether filling allied health gaps, supporting STEM workforce development, or accelerating research-driven industries — institutions can amplify their impact beyond campus boundaries.  

Projects such as the University of Utah’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine demonstrate how academic environments can strengthen healthcare systems while building critical workforce capacity. 

In many rural communities, the enduring value of the “town and gown” relationship is often overlooked. Even beyond the graduates they produce, universities provide jobs, stability and identity for entire regions.  

When campuses are designed with community in mind, education as a public good becomes something everyone can tangibly experience. 

Designing the ecosystem ahead 

By approaching campuses through the lenses of vitality, enterprise and community, institutions can move beyond incremental fixes and begin shaping a new ecosystem that supports students, strengthens economies and deepens public trust. But this work cannot happen in isolation.  

Universities, industry partners, community leaders and designers each bring essential perspectives. Together, we can explore new models of learning, partnership and place that better align education with the world it serves.  

In the months ahead, we'll continue to explore each lens more deeply — examining how institutions across the country are reimagining campuses to support the whole student, unlock new economic opportunity and strengthen the communities they call home.