Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions
My book, Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions: Managing and Envisioning Uncertain Futures, was published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in April 2020. Here is the publisher's description:
This book offers the first in-depth examination of scenario planning. This urban and regional planning approach enables communities to create and analyze multiple plausible versions of the future in the face of rapid technology advances, climate change, and other twenty-first century challenges. Robert Goodspeed explains what scenario planning is and presents evidence of its effectiveness. Intended for urban planning professionals, students, and researchers, the book includes a clear overview of scenario planning methods, a chapter on specific modeling and simulation tools, case studies, and helpful synopses at the conclusion of each chapter.
Purchase: Amazon, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Bookshop
Find in a local library: Worldcat
Policy Brief
I published a free, 4-page policy brief about scenario planning, which draws on the book, in March 2019. It is available in English and Spanish:
Recent Related Publications
After completing the book, I've continued to publish work on the topic.
Work on exploratory scenarios & their use for decision making:
Machiels, Thomas, Robert Goodspeed, Tine Compernolle, and Tom Coppens. 2023. "Creating Flexible Plans for an Uncertain Future: From Exploratory Scenarios to Adaptive Plans With Real Options." Planning Theory & Practice: 1-20.
Avin, Uri and Robert Goodspeed. 2020. "Using Exploratory Scenarios in Planning Practice: A Spectrum of Approaches." Journal of the American Planning Association.
Avin, Uri, Robert Goodspeed, and Lily Murnen. 2022. "From Exploratory Scenarios to Plans: Bridging the Gap." Planning Theory & Practice 23 (4): 637-646.
A case study of collaborative scenarios for public transit:
Goodspeed, Robert, Kidus Admassu, Vahid Bahrami, Tierra Bills, John Egelhaaf, Kim Gallagher, Jerome Lynch, Neda Masoud, Todd Shurn, Peng Sun, Yiyang Wang, and Curt Wolf. 2023. "Improving transit in small cities through collaborative and data-driven scenario planning." Case Studies on Transport Policy 11: 100957.
Case studies of scenario planning in smaller cities and regions:
Goodspeed, Robert and David DeBoskey. 2020. "Scenario Planning for Smaller Places: Aligning Methods and Context." Working Paper. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Release Materials
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy published a short interview with me on April 24, 2020: "COVID-19 Q&A: How Scenario Planning Can Shape Our Recovery Efforts"
I have published several blog posts related to the book:
How 'Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions' Relates to Four Recent Books (What is the Future, A Future for Planning, Planning Support Methods, and Capital City)
Reviews and Media
Podcast:
I was a guest on the Talking Headway Podcast hosted by Jeff Wood on July 16, 2020.
Print:
"The author has done the discipline a major service by consolidating and theorizing such a wide-ranging, and potentially paradigm shifting, approach to planning." - Stephen Zigmund in the Journal of Planning Theory & Practice
"An outstanding complement to the current body of literature of scenario planning ... the book could benefit a wide range of people who are interested in addressing the complex and uncertain future of cities." - Yexuan Gu in the Journal of Urban Affairs
"One of the book’s many strengths is the multitude of examples. Readers in a hurry can get the gist from bullet points at the end of each chapter. The book can be used as a textbook in various ways, but it doesn’t read like one." -- Planning, August/September 2020
Online:
"Its emphasis on blending qualitative and quantitative methods makes this a must read for students and practitioners alike." -- Ken Steiff, Program Director, UPenn Master of Spatial Data Analytics
"Do recommend." -- Lisa Schweitzer, USC
"I expect that I'll use it regularly as a future reference guide ... It's well worth reading." -- Erik Pages, Entreworks Consulting
"A meticulously assembled overview of scenario planning" -- Kuan Butts, Mapbox