Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions

Our shambolic response to COVID-19 presents us with many bitter and painful lessons.  One set relates to scenario planning.   We’re obviously not very good at it, and, when we actually do advance scenario planning, we ignore the results.  It probably behooves us—or at least those of us working in community development—to take a look at a useful new Lincoln Institute of Land Policy book, Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions, by Robert Goodspeed.  This excellent guide is something of a one-stop-shop on scenario planning.  I know a little about scenario planning processes, but I learned a lot here and was also reminded of many good ideas and techniques that I’ve forgotten over the years.  I expect that I’ll use it regularly as a future reference guide—it would also be useful for student and newcomers to the field.  It’s also an easy read, and relatively jargon-free—at least for us policy wonks!  It’s well worth reading.