Planning for the Future: Making Scenario Planning Tools Open Access

Details

Published on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 17:10

Hits: 2102

A new report released by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is avocating for communities to use cutting edge resources like scenario planning tools to inform their planning processes. Since scenario planning tools help citizens visualize the future of their cities and regions, making this tools open source is imperative.

Convened by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sonoran Institute, a group of planners, tool developers and users released a report called Open Access to Scenario Planning Tools. This report examines the current state of scenario planning, the promise of scenario planning tools to help us prepare for the future, the challenges to expanding their use, and their potential to open access to the planning process.

Some recommendations include:

• Creating an online plantform to foster collaboration in the development and application of scenario planning tools
• Establish data standards to improve information sharing
• Advance new concepts of anticipatory governance to address uncertainty and future challenges

To learn more, read the PFR at www.lincolninst.edu and visit the website: www.scenarioplanningtools.org.

To see scenario planning in action, SCOTie is currently hosting case studies from communities that have used scenario planning tools and processes in their planning processes. Tucson Water uses scenario planning to give their planning efforts room to evolve and change along with a changing water resource future. Telluride conducted an Alternative Futures study with the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This allows Telluride to see how their infrastructure holds up under alternate futures and uncover vulnerable sectors. Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) used I-PLACES3S to compile Blueprint, an award winning regional growth analysis. Envision Tomorrow was used in the Superstition Vistas effort to advocate for environmental protection, community health and social equity. Grand Junction used CommunityViz to update their comprehensive plan as part of the public engagement process. And lastly, the Southern California Assocation of Government (SCAG) used Envision Tomorrow to explore how far land use planning could go toward reducing regional vehicle miles traveled. Read more about these efforts ...