Navigating the Polycrisis

How does the planning profession respond when multiple crises collide – climate change, housing affordability, infrastructure stress, and declining public trust?

At the 2025 Canadian Institute of Planners national conference, Intelligent Futures brought together nearly 50 planners from across the country to tackle this exact question. Through structured reflection and strategic foresight tools, participants surfaced nearly 200 contributions that explored how planning must evolve to meet the moment.

This publication captures:

• What a polycrisis is and why it matters for planners

• Key forces pushing, pulling, and holding the profession back

• A bold set of principles and behaviours to guide future-ready planning

• Real quotes, systems thinking tools, and actionable insights

If you're navigating complexity in your work and wondering what planning needs to become, this is for you.