Developing scenarios with local schoolchildren

To evaluate the direction of our present decisions scenarios are used in planning

Scenario is a tale of future in narrative and/or illustrative form. These are usually grossly exaggerated to illustrate the point better.

Tallinn University researchers visited Kunda Gymnasium to gather youngsters’ input to explorative scenarios in January 2020. Pupils were given four scenario titles along economic pressure and environmental restriction axes with some topics to consider, e.g. tourism, mobility, population, technological development etc.

Drawings and interpretive sketches

Pupils working together and presenting (interpretive sketches)

On their worksheets students had to describe what is currently good and bad. They love having a beach, where to swim, although it might be cleaner, with lighting and more leisure activities like hiking trails. In narrative part the trope was that people will move out and more factories will be built there amidst forest. Kunda’s population reaches currently up to 3000 and it is known for producing cement since 1870 and exporting it alongside timber through its port. A trend prolongation scenario?

Two extravagant ideas also were surfaced. A nuclear power plant – as Estonia tries to reduce its oil-shale energy it has been considered as one of the options and as one of the placement possibilities Kunda has been mentioned. As we asked for scenarios to depict the year of 2040 then why not to have a under-water hotel!

Drawings