State change, on foot: thinking about walkshops and urban futures

Silence is data, not failure

That awkward pause after a futures question? It’s not a problem to be fixed. It’s information. When groups go quiet, it’s often because the question is stretching identity, not just opinion. Sometimes it’s because people are sensing risk in being wrong. And sometimes...
State change, on foot: thinking about walkshops and urban futures

Purpose is not a destination

Ikigai is having a moment (again. I first read about it in 2018 when I read Héctor García and Francesc Miralles’ book). Ikigai is often presented as something to be found: a neatly defined purpose that sits at the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at,...
State change, on foot: thinking about walkshops and urban futures

Why curiosity beats certainty in futures work

One of the most hopeful things neuroscience tells us is that we are natural explorers. Curiosity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s how learning happens. Molecular biologist John Medina points out that, in learning environments, attention drops sharply after about ten...