Identify and select trends and forces

Summary

Drawing on a team of interdisciplinary experts, DVRPC brainstormed a list of emerging trends (“forces”)with the potential to affect the Greater Philadelphia region over the plan horizon, then narrowed the list based on a force’s likelihood of happening and its potential impact on the region. They selected five “structuring forces”, which are trends that had both a high likelihood of occurring as well as a high potential for impact on the region, for further evaluation: booming domestic energy production, more severe climate impacts, increasing demand for housing in walkable urban centers, expanding transportation on-demand options, and the expansion of the free agent economy. They also identified ongoing trends in the region that were likely to continue but were predicted to have a less dramatic impact on the region’s future, including an aging population, flat or declining levels of transportation funding, and political gridlock.