The pace of continuity
A fascinating part of futures work is looking, not at the developments and new advances that may take place, but at the things that remain constant and the current activities, trends and objects that may end. The speed of change is often talked about – especially by those making arguments about the need for change and transformation – but the pace of continuity – the longevity and changes of artefacts and relationships – is fundamental to visioning plausible futures. I’ll come back to this notion of ‘pace of continuity’ as it helps to make connections between ‘the new’ that we often look for, and how it replaces, extends or challenges existing practices, resources and norms. A visit to The RSA in London provided an insight into some such possible lifespans.
