| Template:Wikify is deprecated. Please use a more specific cleanup template as listed in the documentation. |
The Futures Academy is an active research organisation, which was founded in response to the need for a fresh, more effective approach towards forward planning. It was established in January 2003 and it is located in the Faculty of the Built Environment in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), in Ireland has extensive experience in the field of the built environment and was founded to serve the demands of the constituent professions in the effective planning, designing, building, promoting and managing of the country’s cities and regions. The Futures Academy was specifically set up, within the Faculty of the Built Environment, as a centre of excellence to fulfil the need for a creative approach towards innovative strategic planning in Ireland by providing professional guidance to those agencies, organisations and individuals concerned with making long-term decisions. Initially, this focused mainly on those professions directly involved in land, property, construction and development. Through continued success in this field, the scope of The Futures Academy has broadened to include the wider world of business associated with urban land management and development, as well as extending to all those committed to advancing the concept of sustainable urban development.
Aims
The main aims of the Futures Academy include:
- Testing policies directed towards evolving a sustainable future.
- Identifying the ‘key drivers of change’ that might impact on the future of sustainable development.
- Providing executive training and trans-disciplinary education in the concepts, methods and techniques of Futures Studies.
- Developing a more imaginative approach for decision-makers and practitioners involved in forward planning that will ultimately lead to more effective successful solutions.
Staff
Since its establishment, the number of the Academy staff has doubled and, at present, the team comprises fifteen members, including three full-time staff members, eight postgraduate research students and four Academy Fellows. This ensures a critical mass of researchers and work, and gives the Academy a dedicated focus and a broad range of national and international contacts.
Research Activities:
The Futures Academy is an active research organisation involved in a broad range of international, European and domestic research projects and activities. The Futures Academy pursues co-operation and links with interested parties and disseminates its research outcomes through various publications and conferences. The following is a list of some of the activities or projects in which The Futures Academy is currently involved:
The main current activities include:
LUDA - Large Urban Distressed Areas A three year pan-European research project of Key Action 4 "City of Tomorrow & Cultural Heritage" of the programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission. The leading question is: How can an integrated and strategic process of sustainable rehabilitation and development for large urban distressed areas, with a complex set of problems, rather vague development perspectives, and high public pressure for rapid improvements, be initiated and better managed during its initial stages? www.luda-project.net
Scenarios for Ireland 2030 An important element of the 2005 Futures Academy work programme, this project aims to produce a suite of distinct, yet realistic, scenarios for the future of Ireland. It is intended that these scenarios will inform decision-makers as to the uncertainties that lie ahead and how these might be prepared for and ultimately managed more effectively, as has happened with the 'Scenarios for Scotland' project. Set for launch at a conference later in the year, it is also intended that these scenarios will be renewed on a five-yearly basis as part of an ongoing interactive process.
Global Cities 2030 In conjunction with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and in preparation for the World Cities Forum in June this year, The Futures Academy prepared a series of 'layered' scenarios for the future of global cities. These aim to provoke discussion as well as inform interested parties as to the changing nature of cities worldwide. As part of the research, an 'horizon scanning' exercise, survey questionnaires and a futures workshop were undertaken to ensure the creation of well-informed, robust scenarios.
Sustainability Synergy Group The Futures Academy has responsibility for organising the Sustainability Synergy Group within the Dublin Institute of Technology. With quarterly meetings, those interested in any issue pertaining to the sustainability agenda are allowed the opportunity to meet, discuss and debate with those of similar interests.
Guest Lecturers Occasionally during the academic year, The Futures Academy arranges for academics, practitioners or other experts, whose work it feels would be of interest to the Faculty and DIT as a whole, to give a guest lecture. These lectures have been very well received to date, the last three focussing on the topics of: futures and regional planning (Fabienne Goux-Baudiment), 'eco-dynamics' (Robert Samet), and corporate social responsibility (Charlie Hughes).
Newspaper Interviews The Futures Academy is becoming known as a source of information for various Irish newspapers and magazines. Having recently been interviewed for both the Irish Examiner and the Irish Independent, The Academy hopes to co-operated further and foster these links as a professional research consultant group.
REMIC2 The Futures Academy are currently preparing abstracts for submission to the Renewable Energy in Maritime Island Climates, 2nd International Conference (REMIC2) to be held on 26-28 April 2006 in Dublin. For further details on REMIC2 please log on to www.dit.ie/remic2
Recent Research Activities:
Imagine Dublin 2020 In May 2004, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce launched their vision for the future of Dublin entitled 'Imagine Dublin 20:20' at the Dublin City Council. The Futures Academy was instrumental in the facilitation and production of this document, having participated in the development of scenarios and characterisations for the Chamber. www.dubchamber.ie
Greater Dublin Prospectives Society This society involves regular meetings of pubic and private stakeholders in Dublin's economy and is facilitated using 'futures' methods and techniques in order to establish a social network and framework for discussion for those interested in the future of Dublin city and the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). April's 2004 meeting focussed on the theme 'Clean, Green and Safe' and included presentations from Charles Landry (author of "The Creative City"), Kevin Carty (Asst. Commissioner, Garda Siochana), and Eamon Ryan (Green Party TD).
Irish Government Enterprise Strategy Group In mid-2003, The Futures Academy was approached by Forfás (Government Science and Technology Policy advisory body) to discuss the possibility of running a futures workshop for the Enterprise Strategy Group. This group was formed by the Tánaiste to examine the future of enterprise in Ireland over the next ten years and comprised of high-level decision-makers from business, unions and academia. The Futures Academy facilitated a workshop in the K-Club in December 2003 for the Group, at which a series of comprehensive scenarios for the future of Irish enterprise were created, following which the Enterprise Strategy Group has reconsidered its examination of a number of issues central to future enterprise policy that were addressed during the workshop. www.forfas.ie
BIDS - Business Improvement Districts Town planning and economic-based projects to improve the competitiveness of districts. This project, in conjunction with the Tourism Research Centre, DIT, focuses on Carlow. The project was won at a value of €50,000.
The Harvard Conference Held in September 2003 in Newry, Northern Ireland, this UCD sponsored conference included a major presentation from The Futures Academy on the future of the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor. This presentation (in conjunction with the University of Ulster) was preceded by a series of futures workshops, survey questionnaires, strategic conversations and other futures technique-based activities.
More details about activities of the Futures Academy can be found at The Futures Academy website.
Contact us
The Futures Academy
Faculty of Built Environment
Bolton Street
Dublin 1, Ireland
Phone +353-1-402-3738
and/or +353-1-402-3749
FAX +353-1-402-3699