Backcasting

Objectives

Backcasting allows a group of people to weigh up the implications of different future options or policy goals.

Method

1. Define future goals and objectives, projecting 25-50 years into the future.
2. Specify the scenario by analysing the technological and physical characteristics of a path that would lead towards the specified goals.
3. Evaluate the scenario in terms of physical, technological and socio-economic feasibility and policy implications.
4. Brainstorm ways this desired end-point can be achieved, working backwards to the present.

Example

Guadalentı´n (Spain) and the Vald’Agri (Italy) workshops about the developing of local scenarios .

Source

2. To deepen your knowledge on backcasting: Quist J,, Vergragt P. Past and future of backcasting: The shift to stakeholder participation and a proposal for a methodological frameworkFutures 38 (2006) 1027–1045.

The author of this article is UNIVE team The article has been reviewed by Plan Bleu and PAP/RAC Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article. For other articles by this author see Category:Articles by UNIVE team