London- Bristol

Cities and societies are constantly evolving, shaped by social, economic, and environmental forces that can be unpredictable. Decisions made today—whether in urban planning, policy, or design—will have lasting consequences, often unfolding over decades. Yet, many decision-making processes are constrained by short-term priorities, driven by election cycles, market pressures, and immediate demands, making it difficult to plan for a future that remains uncertain.

One of the greatest challenges is balancing the urgent needs of the present with the long-term resilience of communities and environments. Infrastructure, public spaces, and urban policies must not only address current realities but also anticipate changes in demographics, technology, climate, and social behaviours. However, traditional planning models often lack the flexibility to incorporate long-term thinking, and many organizations struggle to develop the skills and confidence needed to envision a future beyond the constraints of today.

Given that some projects take decades to materialize, cities must embrace foresight and adaptability, integrating tools that encourage strategic, participatory decision-making.

By fostering a culture of future-oriented thinking, societies can create places that are not only functional and relevant today but continue to thrive for generations to come.

Shaping the future of places requires long-term thinking, yet many decision-makers lack the tools, skills, and confidence to envision possibilities beyond immediate constraints.

To address this gap, a flexible and accessible toolkit has been developed to support organizations involved in place-shaping. Designed for a wide range of users—including museums, local governments, planners, and developers—the toolkit enables communities to harness collective intelligence and creativity to define a shared vision for the future. It is adaptable to different contexts, allowing each organization to tailor the process based on their needs, participants, and timelines.

In an era dominated by short-term decision-making, the need to cultivate ‘futures literacy’—as defined by UNESCO, the ability to imagine and prepare for what lies ahead—is more critical than ever.

This toolkit integrates methods from diverse disciplines such as filmmaking, trends forecasting, service design, and community engagement to bring greater foresight, empathy, and creativity into planning processes.

By making these tools widely accessible, the project aims to expand the capacity for long-term thinking, fostering more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking places.

Shaping today with tomorrow in mind—designing places that stand the test of time. The Place Futures toolkit is currently in its beta phase and is being tested across various organizations and contexts. Early assessments indicate that it is a flexible and adaptable resource suitable for a diverse range of users, including students, academics, and community groups.

The toolkit has been successfully integrated into educational programs, urban planning initiatives, and civic engagement projects, showcasing its potential as a practical tool for guiding collaborative design processes. Initial findings suggest that the toolkit’s adaptability is one of its key strengths.

It can be customized to different levels of expertise, technological familiarity, and thematic focus, making it accessible to a wide audience. Educational institutions have reported that it enhances co-design workshops by providing structured yet flexible methodologies. In community planning settings, participants have noted its effectiveness in engaging them, stimulating critical thinking, and facilitating meaningful discussions about urban development.

The thematic structure of the toolkit allows for scalable use, offering both in-depth exercises and quick interventions, thereby accommodating various scheduling constraints. Additionally, the framework appears to be especially useful in helping teams transition from ideation to concrete planning, ensuring that visions for the future can be developed into actionable strategies.

While comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessments are still in progress, initial feedback highlights the toolkit’s potential to foster future-oriented thinking, strengthen participatory processes, and provide adaptable tools for urban and social innovation. Further evaluation will help refine its application and expand its impact.