Planning and Building for the Long-term When the Future Is Uncertain

Workshop

Planning and Building for the Long-term When the Future Is Uncertain

Instructor: Prof. Peter Madden, Professor of Practice in Future Cities, Cardiff University

Summary

This interactive workshop explores how planners, designers, and decision-makers can prepare for long-term change in the face of uncertainty and instability. Focusing on the built environment, it examines how climate, technology, demographics, and socio-economic change affect decisions about homes, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure.

Participants are introduced to practical and conceptual approaches for designing resilient and adaptable systems, including methods for stress-testing plans against uncertain futures and identifying strategies that remain effective across a range of possible scenarios.

Instructor Bio

Peter Madden is Professor of Practice in Future Cities at Cardiff University and Founder Director of Vivid Futures. His work explores how engagement with the future can help create better places for people and planet.

Previously, he led Future Cities Catapult, Forum for the Future, and Green Alliance, and held senior positions in government and the Environment Agency. He has also served on a range of boards across environment, regeneration, and infrastructure. He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand how instability and uncertainty shape long-term decisions in the built environment.

  • Examine practical and theoretical approaches for planning and designing resilient homes, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure.

  • Evaluate strategies for making decisions today that remain robust under difficult-to-predict future conditions.

  • Apply case-study insights to develop more adaptive and forward-looking planning practices.

Session Structure

  • 15 mins: Introduction to uncertainty and instability in the built environment.

  • 45 mins: Approaches for planning and designing resilient and adaptable homes, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure.

  • 30 mins: Break.

  • 60 mins: Case studies and interactive exercises on robust and future-ready planning strategies.

Pre-Reading

Pre-reading will be shared if required.

Materials

Materials will be provided during the session.