While common forecasting methods in the individual sciences as well as in futurology look to the future from today (forecasting), backcasting starts with an image of the future and then looks “back to the present.” This image of the future must not only be consistent in itself, but also describe a “good” future, i.e. one in which the major problems of the underlying system are solved to the satisfaction of all those involved. Looking “back to the present” then serves to design development paths through which this image of the future can become reality. What needs to happen, what steps would need to be taken to achieve this good future?
By now, we used a backcasting approach in the Z-T-G 001 project to describe paths towards a sustainable future mobility. A good introduction to this approach to thinking about the future is provided in:
