Future in Place : Participatory Future Scenario Planning for Place-based Local Policymaking

Newton, Radka and Rindt, Jekaterina and Calvo, Mirian (2024) Future in Place : Participatory Future Scenario Planning for Place-based Local Policymaking. In: DRS2024: Research Papers :. DRS2024 Boston: Design Research Society Conference 2024 . Design Research Society, USA. ISBN 9781912294626

Abstract

An increasing body of evidence suggests that the global emergence of Policy Innovation Labs over the last twenty years has marked a significant milestone in promoting-facilitating design-driven innovation in policymaking. However, the challenges associated with confining design expertise to the periphery of labs, and the focus of Policy Innovation Labs on national government, leaves regional and local policymaking in the trenches of legacy systems, processes, and skills. This limitation is problematic as it hinders the adaptation of local policies to address the unique challenges they face. Learning from, and moving beyond Policy Innovation Labs (considering their low cost-effectiveness), this paper explores how design can be integrated into place-based, local policymaking to support innovation. We address this by analysing a case study where participatory future scenario planning methods are deployed/adopted/adapted in informing local policy on sustainable transport in the context of the Eden Morecambe project in the North-West of England.