AG2171 Futures Studies and Forecasts 7.5 credits

The course Futures studies and Forecasts spans a wide array of issues, all of them relevant for planners’ comprehension of the future. In the course, focus is on the understanding of some basic concepts in futures studies, such as scenarios, uncertainty and risk, and on how to deal with those.

The course will touch upon issues of quite different character – such as population forecasting, regional plans and other long-term issues.

The course works as a magnet for various such developments and places them in a common setting in order to help the student find methods to keep a long-term perspective on planning.

In this course, the students are trained to become users of futures studies in planning. They will not become experts in performing specific scenario studies, but they will get a broad knowledge on which methods are at hand. Thus, after the course, the students should have acquired a basic understanding of some fundamental methods of long-term planning.

More specifically the aims of the course are that the students should

• be able to explain the differences between various scenario approaches
• be able to use their knowledge regarding various types of scenario methods to critically analyse the use of scenario methods in various existing studies
• be able to point out risks and benefits with the methods presented in the course
• be able to choose a suitable scenario method for a specific problem
• have acquired a basic knowledge regarding existing techniques for scenario generation and be able to explain benefits and weaknesses with those techniques.
• be able to use their new skills both in writing and orally.

In total 150 ECTS-credits, including 30 ECTS-credits within the subject architecture, urban and regional planning, economics or environmental science.

English 6

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• LAB1 - Laboratory Work, 3.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• LIT1 - Literature Assignments, 4.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

It is required to complete exercises involving different combinations of qualitative and quantitative analysis (LAB1; 3 cr) and to fulfil a literature assignment (LIT1; 4,5 cr). Both those excercises must be performed within a specified time period

Mattias Höjer

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.