It has often been said that transport is in an age of disruptive change. Long-held assumptions about links between the transport and economy have been challenged by new evidence. Barely a day goes by without a new mobility service, start-up, driverless car, hyperloop, or something else futuristic being announced. This poses a significant challenge to policy makers. How can we provide a transport system that is fit for the future? Framing how you think about the future is the first step to developing robust, evidence-led strategies. Scenario testing has often been used by transport planners for business case development, and predictions have been used to write policy. This course will focus on how to create future scenarios as a starting point against which to develop your future mobility strategies. It will introduce you to trend analysis, creating a vision, understanding uncertainties, and all the components of a good quality future scenario.

At the end of the course, participants will have:

• An understanding of the history of scenario planning, foresight, and futures thinking in the transport sector

• Understand the role national, regional and local governments play in integrating active modes into mainstream modes of transport

• An understanding of the difference between visions, predictions, and scenarios, and how they lead to different strategies and policy

• Understand the role of consultation and participation with stakeholder and communities in creating scenarios and strategies

• Learn about the different methods that are utilised when researching trends and uncertainties, as well as their strengths and weaknesses

• Understand the tools needed to create future mobility scenarios

• Experience with using analysis tools required to understand how the future could change, the evidence behind uncertainties and trends, and the implications of scenarios for delivery

• Translating scenarios into new transport strategies

This course is designed to provide a solid introduction to scenario planning, and is suitable for professionals working in the fields of transport planning, transport policy, highway engineering, road safety, public health, or with managerial responsibility for these roles. It will also be of interest to people addressing future transport issues within the third sector and academia. We are looking at the senior and principal planner level; potentially just starting their first policy project, and needs to do scenarios work.