Urban planners engage in SFP
What will urban areas look like in the future? Will alternative transportation systems allow our cities to turn into green and spacious paradises? Or will solar cells and windmills fill up the last empty spaces in our already crowded cities?
Exploring possible futures
Both urban planning and futures research are about exploring possible futures. Practioners of these disciplines can learn from each other’s methods. For that reason, a group of graduates of the TU Delft invited STT-project leader Ellen Willemse to give a lecture on methods from futures research during a symposium for urban planners.
Science fiction prototyping
Willemse particularly focussed on Science fiction prototyping (SFP), a relatively new method in futures research, that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Perfectly suited for a late Friday afternoon. Willemse’s adagio is that the best way to understand this method, is to do it. So after a brief introduction of methods for futures research in general and SFP in particular, the participants actively engaged in a prototyping session.
Broad range of ideas
The session delivered a broad range of ideas. From reading your pets brain and machines learning the power of love, to invisible solar panels and moon tourism. Thought provoking and entertaining indeed!