http://www.boston.co...local_forecast/
The local forecast
Is Boston's outlook rosy? Signs point to 'yes,' say those in the future biz
By Chris Berdik, Globe Correspondent, 12/28/2003
Boston has a great deal to look forward to in 2004. Just ask the futurists.
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Seth Itzkan, 43, heads the board of directors of the Boston Chapter of the World Future Society. Seated in a black easy chair in a Davis Square coffee shop, beneath a hubcap clock, he offered this forecast: "One of the things [futurists] look at is the evolution of cities and why one city becomes successful and another one doesn't. I think the events that have been happening for the last few years and will continue to happen in 2004 are indicative of Boston reaffirming its status as a world-class city"....
According to Itzkan, such visions go beyond forecasting, entering the world of "preferred futures," where futurists edge into advocacy and where many of the more "wishful" futurist visions surface.
The more extreme of these visions contribute to the stereotype that futurists engage in wild speculation. Bowman added that public understanding of futurists is colored by fringe practitioners who advocate things like cryonics (freezing the dead in the hope of resuscitation using future medical advances). Nevertheless, she seemed willing to tolerate more venturesome futurists. "Part of thinking about the future is developing that framework for actually being able to imagine," said Bowman, who will travel to Las Vegas in January to attend a conference on "The Future of Reality."
