The Oxford Programme for the Future of Cities kicked off with a scenario building workshop on the 24th and 25th of June 2009.

The Programme for the Future of Cities will take an interdisciplinary look at environmental, political, economic, technological and demographic changes and research their implications for cities going forward. By bringing together decision makers in government, the private sector and civil society with senior researchers and thought leaders across the University of Oxford, the programme will take a long-term perspective on issues such as transportation and energy prices, infrastructure stress, changing demographics due to ageing, and the rapid growth of cities in the developing world.

The scenario workshop was designed to begin exploring these issues, and identifying questions and topics for further investigation. "The aim is to explore the challenges, questions and uncertainties that participants perceive as most relevant and challenging," says Angela Wilkinson, Director of Futures Research at InSIS. She continues, "Adopting a scenario-based approach will encourage a more open-minded exploration at this early stage in the programme."

Led by the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society in collaboration with the Environmental Change Institute and the Institute of Ageing, the £1.2 million programme will draw on the expertise of collaborators across the James Martin 21st Century School and the wider university. The research is funded by the CSPVM Trust with matched funding from Dr. James Martin.