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Three Futures for the Empty Corner ShopWhen Household Objects Start Talking to Each OtherWhen Australia Day No Longer Fits the CalendarA Street Designed for More Than Getting ThroughBackcasting: Start With a Future, Then Walk It Back
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Three Futures for the Empty Corner Shop

Three futures for the empty corner shop show how a vacant storefront could meet local needs—and what each choice asks neighbors to give up.

The Future Journal desk6 min read
TechnologyWhen Household Objects Start Talking to Each Other6 min readCultureWhen Australia Day No Longer Fits the Calendar7 min readCitiesA Street Designed for More Than Getting Through8 min read
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ScenariosBuild plausible future situations from clear assumptions and human choices.TechnologyExplore how emerging tools could change the way people live and work.CultureConsider how shared values, customs and stories might shift over time.CitiesImagine how streets, homes and public places could respond to change.MethodsTry structured ways to ask what could happen and what matters.
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Scenarios in Future Journal are ways to think through possibilities, not claims about what will happen.

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We look at more than one possibility and make the assumptions visible. That leaves room for curiosity, discussion and better questions.

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People walking and interacting outside a green corner shop during golden hour with warm interior lightingScenariosWoman adjusting a smart thermostat on a warmly lit wall in a cozy living room at nightTechnologyAboriginal flag, wooden art piece, eucalyptus leaves, and sketchbook on a rock near water with old sailing ship at sunsetCultureBusy urban street with pedestrians, children playing, outdoor dining, cyclist, and a delivery vanCitiesFour people collaborating around a table with sticky notes and a large board outlining tasks and plansMethods
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Three Futures for the Empty Corner ShopScenariosWhen Household Objects Start Talking to Each OtherTechnologyWhen Australia Day No Longer Fits the CalendarCultureA Street Designed for More Than Getting ThroughCitiesBackcasting: Start With a Future, Then Walk It BackMethods