Greater Philadelphia Future Forces

This effort builds scenarios off a set of Future Forces of change in Greater Philadelphia. Future Forces may accelerate or reverse current trends, or create new ones that significantly impact demographics, development patterns, use of the regional transportation system, the economy, and/or the environment. These Future Forces were identified collaboratively by the Greater Philadelphia Futures Group consisting of regional stakeholder experts: This effort builds scenarios off a set of Future Forces of change in Greater Philadelphia. Future Forces may accelerate or reverse current trends, or create new ones that significantly impact demographics, development patterns, use of the regional transportation system, the economy, and/or the environment. These Future Forces were identified collaboratively by the Greater Philadelphia Futures Group consisting of regional stakeholder experts: * Enduring Urbanism -- People and jobs moving to walkable centers is the start of a long-term trend. * The Free Agent Economy -- Increased outsourcing and automation means individuals must create their own economic opportunities. * Severe Climate -- Continued rise in atmospheric carbon levels lead to significant disruptions from climate change. * Transportation on Demand -- Smartphones, apps, and real-time information help people get around using a variety of new and existing transportation modes. * The U.S. Energy Boom -- An abundance of domestically produced oil and natural gas keeps the cost of energy low. The Future Forces were analyzed and modeled as what-if scenarios out to the year 2045. This highlights how the region may change over the next 30 years, with potential shifts in transportation demand, and identifies specific opportunities that may arise and challenges the region is likely to face. Lastly, the report identifies actions needed to better position the region to respond to these Future Forces. Contingent actions and skills are specific to each force, and leading indicators can be used to determine if it is occurring in the region. Universal actions are beneficial regardless of which forces arise. A larger, more detailed report (Greater Philadelphia Future Forces Technical Report, DVRPC Publication Number 16007) was developed to accompany this report