Creating fairer futures for sustainability transitions

Abstract

Futures thinking is an expanding interdisciplinary field which is seen as a key element of transitioning towards a more sustainable planet and society. Developing fairer futuring is increasingly urgent in the context of the radical reconfiguration of current systems needed to meet complex global sustainability challenges. However, explicit consideration of uneven power and participation and the nature‐society relations that feature in contemporary futuring processes has been given little explicit attention to date. This deficit is addressed in this paper through a critical review of dominant futuring approaches and outlining insights from critical perspectives which (a) identify limitations of current futuring approaches and (b) provide important perspectives to help shape fairer futuring in geographical research.

Futures should matter (more): Toward a forward-looking perspective in economic geography

“…Slaughter (2012) asserts that humanity has created a “global emergency” in which urgent action is needed to prevent further tragedies. It is within this context that the discussion on futures becomes increasingly prominent (Fitzgerald and Davies 2022). In the last decade, there has seen an expansion of future-orientated activities in industry, policy, society, and academia (for an overview, see Fitzgerald and Davies 2022).…”

“…It is within this context that the discussion on futures becomes increasingly prominent (Fitzgerald and Davies 2022). In the last decade, there has seen an expansion of future-orientated activities in industry, policy, society, and academia (for an overview, see Fitzgerald and Davies 2022). For instance, the recent social movements like “Fridays for Future” school strikes for climate is an illustrative example as such.…”

Public Perceptions of Alternative Protein Sources: Implications for Responsible Agrifood Transition Pathways

“…In so-called protein transitions, alternative pathways towards more sustainable production and consumption of proteins are possible [7]. The future could entail a change to a predominantly vegetarian diet, organic meat, plant-based meat substitutes, cultivated meat or fish, or so-called low-carbon proteins such as algae, insects or jellyfish [3,[7][8][9][10][11]. In the wake of varied transition pathways, it remains unclear if and how the protein transitions will contribute towards the sustainable development goals of 'zero hunger', 'good health and well-being', 'clean water' and 'responsible consumption and production', among others.…”

“…Foresight and future studies examine the perceptions of the future but typically focus on expert views. To articulate inclusive future visions, it is, however, important that those with marginal engagement in the development of innovation, namely, future consumers, can also express what futures they can imagine for themselves and for society at large [9]. However, future studies which reveal the lay public's views on the future of proteins are scarce.…”

What Role for Citizens? Evolving Engagement in Quadruple Helix Smart District Initiatives

“…Broadly, critics have argued that smart city developments have tended to be associated with top-down, technocratic, instrumental processes that serve the interest of states and businesses rather than citizens (Kitchin, 2014;Sadowski, 2019). Research indicates that people tend to be designed out of smart futures with citizen participation largely rhetorical; a way to legitimise technological solutions that support private interests and entrepreneurial modes of governance (Cardullo & Kitchin, 2019;Fitzgerald & Davies, 2022). Moving beyond a simple, dichotomous, top-down versus bottomup view of actors, recent scholarship argues for a more fluid, interstitial positioning of actors that acknowledges that actors can, and do, occupy multiple and shifting roles over time (Burns & Welker, 2022) including active non-engagement (Soutar et al, 2022).…”