Future Workshop

Begin by considering:

• Which future-oriented topic should be explored?
• What is the central question?

The guiding question should be:

• open-ended
• easy to understand
• future-oriented

Examples include:

• "How should our neighbourhood develop in the future?"
• "How can sustainable mobility be promoted?"
• "How do we want to live together in the future?"

Arrange:

• sufficient space for group work
• pinboards or work surfaces
• flexible seating arrangements

Important:

The environment should encourage creativity and open discussion.

The facilitation team:

• explains the method
• supports the working groups
• manages the schedule and structure
• encourages creative thinking

Most importantly:

Ideas should not be evaluated or criticised during the creative phases.

Aim for a diverse group with:

• different perspectives
• different age groups
• varied experiences

Diverse groups often generate more creative and innovative outcomes.

At the beginning, the facilitation team explains:

• the purpose of the workshop
• the overall process
• the three workshop phases
• the discussion guidelines
• the schedule

The guiding question is then introduced.

A short round of introductions and an informal icebreaker can help create trust and openness.

During the first phase, participants identify:

• existing problems
• shortcomings
• challenges
• negative experiences

Ideas are typically collected through:

• brainstorming
• moderation cards
• small-group discussions

Important:

This phase intentionally encourages participants to express criticism openly.

Helpful questions include:

• "What is currently not working well?"
• "Which problems do you experience?"
• "What concerns you the most?"

The collected ideas are:

• clustered
• organised
• discussed

Participants then identify the most important issues, often using dot voting.

This creates a shared focus for the following phases.

Participants now deliberately shift their perspective.

Instead of focusing on problems, they imagine desirable future scenarios.

Helpful questions include:

• "What would the ideal situation look like?"
• "What do we hope for in the future?"
• "What could this place become if anything were possible?"

Important:

Creative, ambitious, and unconventional ideas are explicitly encouraged during this phase.

Participants capture their visions by:

• writing ideas on cards
• creating drawings
• making sketches
• displaying ideas throughout the room

This often results in:

• future scenarios
• visionary concepts
• creative solution ideas

Facilitators should encourage participants to think boldly and imaginatively.

Participants now consider:

• Which ideas are most important?
• Which ideas appear realistic?
• Which proposals have broad support?

Ideas are prioritised once again, often using dot voting.

Working in small groups, participants transform their visions into practical actions.

A helpful framework is the W-method, asking:

• What should be achieved?
• Why is it important?
• How can it be implemented?
• With whom?
• By when?
• Which obstacles might arise?

The results may be presented as:

• sketches
• action lists
• implementation plans

Finally, each group presents its work to the plenary.

Presentations include:

• ideas
• priorities
• proposed actions

The group then reflects on and discusses the overall outcomes together.

Document:

• future visions
• proposed actions
• priorities
• sketches
• discussion outcomes

The documentation should be visual, clear, and easy to understand.

The workshop results can be consolidated into an action plan containing:

• concrete measures
• responsibilities
• timelines
• next steps

The documentation should be shared with:

• participants
• the public administration
• policymakers
• other stakeholders

Important:

Communicate transparently how the outcomes will be incorporated into future planning and decision-making.

Source: https://mobilitaetsplanung-hessen.de/methodenkoffer-partizipative-planung/