Co-Lab
2025
Anchor Institutions
This booklet examines what it means for small cities to build local economies around medical and educational institutions. Following the decline of manufacturing, many small cities' economies transitioned toward education and healthcare, as these institutions were seen as less likely to relocate and benefited from significant government investment and research funding during those decades. As anchor employers, meds and eds bring investment and stability, but also hold outsized land, capital, and political power, often straining housing and community relationships. It looks at how these institutions can become more effective, accountable partners in local governance.