The Urban Futures Studio explores sustainable and meaningfully democratic futures, and ways to get there. We investigate what we call ‘futuring’ - the social creation of the (imagined) futures that direct collective action. As a transdisciplinary institute, we collaborate with policymakers, activists, artists, and students to enable alternative futures.

Visit the Urban Futures Studio at Princetonlaan 8a, Utrecht  (room 1.02)

    • AI images for dreaming or ghosting?

      Opinion
      There is much to say about the implications of using AI to depict so-called better worlds, with already numerous critiques of bias, labour exploitation, and energy unsustainability. Or even worse, the weaponisation of AI to promote “ideal” futures...What has, however, remained less explored is the potential of AI tools to lay bare our deeply held dreams of better futures, such that they can then be challenged.

    • Rethinking impact: the ‘African Urban Futures’ project

      Background
      The African Urban Futures project aims to open up possibilities for more just and sustainable cities as an alternative to development visions for African cities that typically are oriented toward replicating the gleaming skylines of Dubai or Singapore.

    • Smells like clean spirit

      Opinion
      Young teens wearing baggy jeans. Listening to Nirvana. On a Walkman. Have you fallen through a time portal? This 90s revival reminds us that inklings of alternative futures can already be found in the recent past – often in unexpected trends and among unlikely people.

    • How to imagine a better futures in difficult times: a guide for meaningful visioning

      News
      An Utrecht University team has collaborated with the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) to create a practical guide for researchers working on future visions that aim to inspire real societal change.

    • Futures of Palestine: Imagining Justice

      News
      Personal experiences and academic insights alternated during the 'Palestine Futures' meeting on April 7, 2024.
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