These are Grant Duckworth's notes from his agenda slot at the Vancouver Futurists Meetup session on 3rd April 2019

1. Vancouver Futures Meet Up
Megatrends (context)
Future of work – will every enterprise need a futurist in the next decade?
Urban Sustainability and SmartCity movement
• Intellectual demands and constraints mostintense
• City 2.0 - operating system (EVs hinders “big picture” thinking)
Intersecting security challenges(CIC Fadden)
Key Discussion Points:
• Demand ExceedsSupply (anecdotalevidence)
o Forecasting extending its timelines
 Pressureto produceresults (fear of uncertainty)
 Market appeal of prediction
o Vancouver regionalplanning initiatives
 Transportation 2040 Plan, TransLink RegionalTransportation
Strategy (2045); GranvilleIsland” A Vision for the Future(2040)
 SFUSemester in Dialogue (Housing Futures, Climate Futures)
 Vancouver City-wideplan (Gil Kelly)
• Keeping it real(maintaining integrity)
o Future-proof (quick fixes)
o “Future-washing” and “futureas spectacle”
 Harder to separating the signals fromthe noise
o Brookfield Institute (Futureof AI)
 Aspirationalfutures (fun activity vs a strategic management
technique); too intimidating?
• Processis as importantas outcome
o Policy Horizons Canada (7 step waterfall)
o Resource-intensive, lacks agility
o Organic approach may work better for dynamic work environments
like Vancouver (DF6 –setting the mindset)
o Integrateat frontend of strategic management process
Discussion Question: Time for a Vancouver brand of futurism?