Cities as Anticipatory Systems

This collection of sources focuses on the concept of cities as anticipatory systems, exploring how urban environments and their diverse actors envision and prepare for future challenges and opportunities. The text examines how cities, as complex socio-spatial systems, utilize anticipation to address issues ranging from climate change and environmental sustainability to urban security, public health, and social inequalities. Through various case studies and theoretical perspectives, the sources analyze how different urban systems and actor groups possess varying capacities to imagine and institutionalize future outcomes, highlighting the importance of collaboration, diverse perspectives, and effective policy-making in shaping resilient and desirable urban futures. The compilation underscores the decentralized and dynamic nature of urban anticipation, emphasizing the need to understand its multifaceted manifestations within the urban fabric.