Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions: Managing and Envisioning Uncertain Futures

Abstract

Robert Goodspeed ’ s Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions argues that the challenges posed by climate change, technological change, and sustainability goals “ requires breaking from past planning approaches ” (p. viii). Traditional planning ignores the radical uncertainty of the future, preferring instead to extend current trends, leading to serious planning failures: “ homes fl ooded because they were built in areas thought to be safe from storms, public funds wasted on infrastructure to accom-modate growth that never materializes, or a mismatch between the types of housing units available and what people prefer ” (pp. 24 – 25). Grounded in understanding cities as complex adaptive systems that require diverse, collaborative participation to identify problems and solutions, and fl exible policy recommendations to adjust to changing future conditions, urban scenario planning, Goodspeed argues, represents nothing less than a paradigm shift for urban planning. – organized