Changes Impacting Canadian Cities in 2040

What are the broad range of changes municipal innovators are contending with today, and what might they mean for the future of cities in 10-20 years? To explore this question, Creative Futures launched the inaugural cohort of Open Scan in April 2022. 

The purpose of this program is to build the foresight capacity of municipal innovators to enable future-focused decision-making. As part of this program, each week participants identified emerging changes with the potential to impact the future of cities in 2040. These signals of change were collected over a two-month period and are presented in Canadian Cities in 2040. 

What if cities adopt cryptocurrency? What if housing affordability worsens? What if flooding and extreme temperatures become normal conditions of life? Learn about these and 49 other changes that will shape the future of Canadian cities.

Why did we do this research?

The purpose of this report is to share these changes and support other municipal innovators in future-focused discussions and processes. This document is not meant to be a comprehensive scan of emerging changes impacting cities, nor is it a thorough analysis of any one area of change. Instead, it is meant to provoke a discussion about what the implications may be should these changes happen, and how municipal innovators should prepare today for what 2040 may bring. 

Learn more:

To learn more about how to apply strategic foresight within the municipal context, join our next training program - Think like a Futurist - Municipal Edition. Sign up today. 

Already familiar with strategic foresight? Join the Open Scan network and connect with other municipal innovators working in this space.