Expanding what we believe is possible
Civic Imagination informs how we question prevailing assumptions and explore alternative possibilities for civic life and the places in which we live, work, play and grow.
It explores our capacity to conceive possibilities beyond existing conditions and assumptions, and to imagine different ways of living, relating and organising our shared world.
Our imagination is shaped by our experiences, cultures, institutions and the expectations we absorb about what is normal, reasonable or realistic. These influences can become internalised, limiting not only what we are willing to propose to others, but what we allow ourselves to imagine in the first place. At IF/, we are interested in cultivating the freedom to think beyond these boundaries.
Imagining Otherwise
Imagination can be speculative or grounded, playful or serious, fantastical or rigorous. Sometimes venturing into the absurd, suspending familiar rules or entertaining the seemingly impossible allows us to discover truths and possibilities that more conventional ways of thinking might overlook.
The places, institutions and social arrangements we inhabit reflect particular ideas about what is possible, desirable and legitimate. Imagining otherwise can challenge these assumptions, opening questions about whose visions have shaped the world we share, whose have been overlooked, and who feels entitled to propose alternatives.
Imagination in civic life
Through research, design, learning and creative experimentation, we explore how imaginative capacity can be cultivated and brought into dialogue with our understanding of place and its possible futures, without requiring every idea to be immediately feasible, useful or actionable.