Scenarios in an Urban Planning Studio: The Perception of Multidisciplinary Students

Abstract

With the ongoing development of increasingly complex and uncertain urban contexts, imagining and envisioning future scenarios have become essential competences in the education of urban planners. We applied scenario planning in a postgraduate studio titled Sustainable Urbanism Project that aimed at facilitating students’ learning and improving their ability to craft context-based and future-oriented urban solutions. We believe that this method effectively guided students with multidisciplinary backgrounds to engage with the subject, enhancing their creativity and capability in co-designing sustainable futures. This paper investigates the expectations and challenges faced by students throughout the project process, discussing the applicability of the method and its outcomes, pitfalls, and advantages. The study highlights the reflective role of scenario planning in urban planning studios to guide students in recognising sustainable and unsustainable scenarios for the future. It is important that scenario planning allows students to fully understand the planning process rather than just focusing on generic planning solutions or interventions.