SIGNALS & TRENDS OF BELONGING
As part of the Future of Belonging Project, the community came together to explore what “weak signals of change”—early indicators of future trends—might reveal. Over six weeks, 25 participants gathered 80 signals related to belonging, culminating in 12 key trends that address what belonging might look like in the near future, focusing on themes such as economic equity and generational divides.
Localized Trends Summary
Below is a summary of the trends developed through the Future of Belonging Scan Club and Trend Development Day:
Developing the Future of Belonging Trends
The Future of Belonging Scan Club ran for six weeks starting in late May 2024. Community members gathered virtually to discuss and share signals they found, with over 25 unique participants collecting 80 signals related to belonging.
On July 8, 2024, the cub met at the Barrie Public Library for Trend Building Day to analyze these signals and collaboratively identify future trends. This session resluted in four distint trends, which were further researched and vetted. Following this, including tools like ChatGPT.
During the Trends Building Day, participants used the Themes & Trends Builder Canvas to structure potential trends. Attendees included representatives from various organizations, such as Georgian College and the YMCA.