Scenario Testing

FA has pioneered the use of scenario planning in land use plans.  Some of the firm's recent award-winning work for Envision Utah and Chicago Metropolis used scenario planning.

Scenarios are really stories about what might be. They are not forecasts and they are not predictions. They are possible futures that are based on what already exists, on trends that are evident, and on the values and preferences of our city. The essential requirement of any scenario is that it be plausible, within the realm of what exists and what is now known. The result of scenario planning is that strategies are developed that work well in the best-case scenario but provide acceptable outcomes in the worst-case.  These strategies are used to develop a vision for the area that can be implemented in several ways, allowing the flexibility to change if things don't work out as planned or new market opportunities surface. 

This graphic shows three alternative scenarios developed in the Central Texas region.