Sustainability Course

Scenario Planning for Urban Futures

Create resilient and sustainable cities with scenario planning.

In-person
May 10-12, 2027
$1,400
Register

Location:

Ann Arbor, MI

Schedule:

9:00am – 5:00pm ET

Course Summary

Learning Objectives

Course Overview

Credentials

Instructional Team

Additional Information

What is Urban Scenario Planning?

Urban scenario planning is a strategic method used by cities and planners to evaluate how different future conditions could shape urban areas. It involves modeling scenarios related to population growth, transportation, land use, and environmental factors to guide infrastructure, policy, and development decisions.

Course Summary

Discounts

The following GoBlue pricing discounts are available and cannot be combined. Please contact us at [email protected] for a promotional code that will allow you to apply the eligible discount to your registration.

With 15 or more enrollments, you may want to consider a custom program for your organization. Please contact us to learn more about our partnership opportunities.

Once you have paid, a discount cannot be added retroactively.

THESE DISCOUNTS ARE NOT APPLICABLE FOR PARTNER PROGRAMS.

Name Details Level
Group Discount Level 1 Enroll 3-4 participants in one course offering. 5%
Group Discount Level 2 Enroll 5 or more participants in one course offering. 10%
U.S. Government Current employees with .gov email (not applicable to government contractors). 10%
U.S. Military Active duty personnel, reservists, retired or disabled veterans. 10%
Students Currently enrolled student from any university; please send photo of date-stamped student ID. 10%
Michigan Engineering Professional Education Alumni Past participants of any Michigan Engineering Professional Education certificate course. 10%
U-M Alumni U-M alumni from any school or department – please send uniqname to [email protected] for confirmation. 20%
U-M Students and Staff Current U-M students, faculty, and staff – please send uniqname to [email protected] for confirmation. 20%
Go Blue Discounts
Instruction Time Completion Time CEUs
Scenario Planning for Urban Futures 9:00am - 5:00pm ET 3 days 2.75

In Partnership With

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Scenario planning is a practice that allows communities to plan for an uncertain future. Planners can explore long-term implications of multiple scenarios and prepare for critical uncertainties. 

The practice guides planners, community members, and other stakeholders through various plausible scenarios and potential futures. Stakeholders learn how to effectively respond to and plan for these possibilities. In the course, urban planning professionals will gain first-hand knowledge about the scenario planning process. They will leave with concrete ideas for how to implement scenarios in their cities.

Learning Objectives

  • Develop knowledge and skills to be reflective practitioners who draw on scenario techniques, including scenario analysis, life cycles, scenario development, and more. 
  • Learn to appropriately foster urban progress for future scenarios through effective planning methods and practice.
  • Gain hands-on knowledge of techniques to analyze trends, construct scenario narratives, and model scenarios using GIS tools.

Course Overview

LAPTOP REQUIRED FOR ATTENDANCE
Participants will receive digital reading materials, scenario planning tools, and other content digitally.

Course participants will dive deep into the topic. They will examine theory, review case studies, and participate in interactive activities. Upon course completion, they will have concrete ideas for how to implement scenarios in their communities.

Course Topics Include:

  • Trends Research
  • Planning Approaches
  • Organizing Driving Forces
  • Defining Dimensions & Selecting Scenarios
  • Implementation Planning
  • Strategy Analysis
  • Overview of Planning Tools
  • Urban System Models & Tools

Who Should Attend

  • Urban planning professionals
  • Early career professionals seeking to advance their skills
  • Consultants seeking to deepen their expertise to win bids
  • Advanced scenario planning practitioners seeking to reflect on their practices
  • Master’s level urban planning students at programs where the topic is not available
  • PhD students in various fields, e.g., sustainability, public policy, social work
  • Applied researchers

Video Testimonials

Credentials

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Digital Certificate

Certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of this course.

Instructional Team

Robert Goodspeed, PhD

  • Chair of Urban and Regional Planning, Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Heather Hannon

  • Director of Planning Practice and Scenario Planning, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Additional Information

How Urban Scenario Planning Is Used in Industry?

City governments, regional planners, and transportation agencies use urban scenario planning to evaluate how growth, infrastructure, and policy decisions will shape future development. Teams model scenarios related to population changes, transit systems, housing demand, and environmental impacts to guide decisions on land use, transportation investments, and long-term urban planning.

Skills

Scenario design; uncertainty analysis; strategic foresight; urban-system planning; long-range decision support.

Audience

Urban planners, strategists, and professionals making long-range decisions under uncertainty.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does Scenario Planning for Urban Futures cover? Scenario Planning for Urban Futures teaches participants how to use scenario methods to think through uncertainty in cities and urban systems. The course helps learners explore possible futures and make better long-range decisions.

Who should take Scenario Planning for Urban Futures? Urban planners, strategists, and professionals making long-range decisions under uncertainty.

How is Scenario Planning for Urban Futures used in practice? Teams use scenario planning to test choices against different futures and make stronger long-term urban decisions.

Questions Professionals Also Ask

What is scenario planning? How do cities plan under uncertainty? How do planners test future possibilities?

Related Courses

Sustainability for Business Growth, Introduction to Carbon Management, Managing Climate Change Consequences 

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Get Started

For more information or answers to any questions please email [email protected] or fill out the form.