Resumo do trabalho

Over the last 26 years, imagination has become central in urban studies, particularly in how cities conceptualize their futures. Scholars have explored it through discourse, sociotechnical imaginaries and participatory methods. Despite its growing presence, imagination remains a developing field with gaps in theory, geography and application.

Although imagination plays a key role in shaping urban futures, it lacks consistent conceptual framing and practical integration into planning. Most literature is centered in the Global North, leaving Latin American perspectives and real-world applications under-explored. In that sense, this literature review is intended to analyze and discuss the conceptual development of imagination in the academic literature of urban futures, from a time period of 1999 to 2024, to understand the ways in which imagination is used and what are the opportunities for future research.

Imagination in urban futures refers to the capacity to envision alternatives shaped by cultural, political and material conditions. It evolved from a loosely applied idea to a structured concept through frameworks like sociotechnical imaginaries. While early studies critiqued dominant visions, recent work emphasizes counter-imaginaries and participatory methods. Imagination is now seen as a political, situated and performative tool to challenge exclusion and co-create urban futures.

This review shows how imagination has become a central concept in urban futures, shaped by sociotechnical imaginaries and counter-narratives rooted in justice and resistance. Imagination is not neutral, it is political, situated and performative. Emerging methods like co-design and futuring games reveal its transformative potential, though challenges remain. Future research should explore diverse imaginaries, temporal scales and institutional integration of participatory tools.

Imagination has become a key analytical and practical concept in urban futures. It operates both as narrative and tool, shaped by sociotechnical imaginaries and participatory practices. While methods like co-design show promise, their impact is often limited. Future research must address epistemic imbalances, institutionalize imagination without losing its critical edge and explore how imaginaries emerge and circulate, especially in contexts of informality and resistance.

This review contributes to urban futures literature by mapping how imagination evolved as both a critical concept and a methodological practice. It clarifies the influence of sociotechnical imaginaries, highlights the rise of counter-imaginaries and identifies the value and limits of participatory tools. By revealing conceptual tensions and research gaps, it offers a foundation for advancing more inclusive, situated and transformative imaginaries in urban theory and practice.

Bina, O., Baptista, M. D., Pereira, M. M., Inch, A., Falanga, R., Alegría, V., Caquimbo-Salazar, S., Duarte, D. H. S., Mercado, G., Valenta, A. T., Vásquez, A., & Verellen, T. (2024). Exploring desired urban futures: The transformative potential of a nature-based approach. Futures, 159, 103362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103362
Hajer, M., & Versteeg, W. (2019). Imagining the post-fossil city: Why is it so difficult to think of new possible worlds? Territory, Politics, Governance, 7(2), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2018.1510339