When we don’t have something, we are always very eager to want it. Except for the future, where we prefer to be cautious and anxious. We would rather be able to predict and control it so we would not have to yield to that numbing feeling of uncertainty. Yet the future is an exciting place to be. Everything is possible, both the good and the bad. The future still has to be created, which opens doors to new possibilities, and we do not need superheroes for that kind of job. We need curious people who are imaginative, critical and open-minded. Does that sound like you? Then keep on reading because with our new engagement programme Trendhunters, we want to turn local citizens into little futurists!
A futurist is someone who studies the future. Someone who collects innovations, asks questions, identifies trends and emerging issues, designs artefacts of the future, creates scenarios and speculates around ‘what if’ questions. Every little change is connected to something bigger and each human being, event and innovation is like a domino. Once we move, we can cause reactions in spaces ahead of us.
During Trendhunters, a 12-week long engagement programme, students will learn more about futures research and will be introduced to trend-watching and foresight. They will learn how to conduct futures research and they will use this new knowledge to create preferred images of the future. With these images, Smart Dún Laoghaire aims to create better and more inclusive futures for our citizens. Every citizen has different needs and wants and in this programme, we aim to give them the tools, knowledge and freedom to express their dream future.
The complexity that our society brings today is often overwhelming, especially for the generations currently growing up. Yet futurists experience the world on a whole different level. They add structure to their observations, link innovations to trends and add meaning to the chaos. By viewing the world through the eyes of a futurist, that chaos loses its intimidating nature and one sees the potential and positives of all changes again.
So instead of being scared of the future, we want the next generation to feel hopeful again. We, as leaders, cannot decide what their preferred future has to look like and so each student will have the opportunity to navigate the future of one chosen topic. They will have to choose one topic out of 27 futures across 7 categories: future of life, future of movement, future of culture, future of communities, future of identity, future of nature, future of landscapes. The more students participate in this programme, the more aspects of our society we will be able to cover.
With Trendhunters, we hope to drive change through the bottom-up in a smart city environment and to make our citizens feel empowered again. Why? Because the future is an exciting place to be. So is the present. So is this city. Let’s be eager to shape it.
For more information, please contact amber@smartdunlaoghaire.ie