Communities Of The Future

EUFO

THE EUROPEAN

FUTURES

OBSERVATORY

EUFO Limited is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England.

Reg Number 04947883.

Registered office;

6 Greenways Close, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3RB, United Kingdom.

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COMMUNITIES OF THE FUTURE

In the decade after this one, many believe that the impacts of Peak Oil and Climate Change will start to be felt. On top of this, the growth of global population will also have an effect, stretching our food and water resources towards their limits. As futurists, we have labelled the next decade as a period where Scarcity Bites to reflect these impending challenges.

Of course, the future is not pre-determined and we have it in our capacity to prepare for this future and to mitigate some of the possible worse effects. That is the theme of this programme. The purpose of this programme is to outline how a community base in rural England can respond to these challenges, and to highlight some of the policy decisions that could be implemented today to give us a brighter tomorrow.

The programme will consist of a series of six sessions. The first session will act as a briefing session to highlight some of the key factors that are likely to become evident in the decade 2020-30, along with some of the complex interlinkages between the factors. The following five sessions will focus upon how distinct communities can respond to this possible future.

The six sessions are:

1. The Many and the FEW – The Many refers to the growth in global population in the years to 2030. The FEW refers to the Food, Energy, and Water that they will want to consume. Against this is a backdrop of potential resource shortages (Peak just about everything) and disruptive climate change. How does all of this fit together? (20th September 2011)

2. The Creative Community – In order to escape from the dystopian future that we can readily paint, we shall need to foster sustainable economic development. The key to this is to unlock the potential of the Creative Community. How can we do this? (25th October 2011)

3. The Entrepreneurial Community – Good ideas need actualisation. The Entrepreneurial Community needs to bring to market the ideas of the Creative Community. What can we do to help foster the Entrepreneurial Community in an age of resource scarcity? (29th November 2011)

4. The Caring Community – Behind the need for life to go on in a period of challenges lies an awkward demographic. Western populations are ageing and greying faster than many would find comfortable. How can society respond to the twin issues of resource scarcity and an ageing population? (24th January 2012)

5. The Coastal Community – Disruptive climate change is expected to be felt in changes to the water cycle. For those communities based on the coast, this could imply threats from both river flooding and from tidal flooding. How can the community prepare for this possibility in the future? (28th February 2012)

6. The Food Community – Food is likely to be a key issue out to 2030. Already long term food prices are rising as demand outstrips supply. What are the implications if that process continues in the future? How can we avoid a dystopian future from emerging? (3rd April 2012)

The programme will be delivered in Ipswich, UK.

Starting at 16:30 hrs, the sessions are designed to be of an hour in length, consisting of a briefing of about half an hour, followed by discussion and review for about half an hour.

Informal discussion may follow the session at a suitable local venue.

Please click on each session for more details and for booking arrangements.

Stephen Aguilar-Millan

Director of Research

This programme is being delivered in conjunction with RSA Suffolk and the Eastern Enterprise Hub.