In an era defined by climate urgency, racial reckoning, and economic disparity, the role of architects is undergoing a quiet revolution. No longer is it enough to create beautiful or efficient buildings. Today’s most resonant work is deeply rooted in the people and places it serves.
Community-focused architecture isn’t a trend. It’s a return to design as a civic practice: collaborative, accountable, and deeply contextual. Yet, even the most well-intentioned professionals can fall into familiar traps: over-designing, overlooking lived experience, or measuring success only by aesthetics or cost efficiency.
So how do we shift?
At Just Communities, we believe it starts with asking better questions. Questions that reveal assumptions, invite authentic input, and keep the long view of community wellbeing at the center. Questions that challenge the boundaries of our role—not just as designers, but as partners in placekeeping, restoration, and regeneration.
Whether you’re leading a project or embedded in a firm, this kind of inquiry is a powerful design tool.
That’s why we created a new resource specifically for architects: “10 Questions Every Architect Should Ask Before Starting a Community-Focused Project.” It’s a concise, printable guide meant to spark reflection and dialogue across teams, clients, and communities.
Because when we pause to ask the right questions, we open the door to doing the right work.
Download it, and let us know what you think!