Apr 29, 2023 | Housing and Safety Signals
Fr. Paul Demuth, Envision Board member and Housing & Safety Signals Team
January’s “Point in Time” count of homeless persons in Green Bay discovered 41 unsheltered persons living on the streets — the highest winter number counted in three years! People who are chronically homeless often deal with long term mental health and addictive behaviors, and the traditional shelter models do not address the needs of this population. Recent research has pointed to a possible solution: peer-run housing. It works like this: a small group of apartments is staffed by formerly homeless persons certified as “peer specialists.” Unlike the traditional “case management” model, peers work with these residents at their own pace to develop the confidence and skills needed to become healthy and, eventually, live independently. The Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition have approved this model as a concept and are looking for a sponsor to implement it for the Green Bay area.
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Apr 29, 2023 | Envision Success Stories
Dave Wegge & Randall Lawton, Envision Board members and Strategic Foresight Consultants
This month the Green Bay Botanical Garden will welcome the community to its new Carol and Bruce Bell Children’s Garden, five times the size of its predecessor! The 47-acre, community-owned garden is open daily for a variety of activities that connect people with plants, hoping to enrich the quality of life in the upper Midwest. It sits on land that was, 30 years ago, an undeveloped area full of potential. Fifty years ago it was merely an idea in search of partnerships and hard work. Today the Garden hopes to be the leading educational, recreational, social and horticultural destination in the upper Midwest.
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Apr 3, 2023 | Economic Transformation Signals
Nan Nelson, Envision Board Member
As you explore creating scenarios to introduce possible, plausible futures to your organization, consider how award-winning professionals — science fiction writers — do this. Not the folks who write Star Wars-type space operas or the sword and sorcery fiction of novels like Game of Thrones. Rather, consider Horizon 3, near-future “hard” science fiction like Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry For the Future or Neal Stephenson’s Termination Shock (both about climate change). These “world-building” science fiction writers take trends you are following in areas such as artificial intelligence, gene therapy or cybersecurity and create mind-expanding scenarios that are entertaining and sometimes alarming.
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Apr 3, 2023 | From our Leadership
Steve McCarthy, Envision Executive Director, 2022- March 31, 2023
When I was asked in late 2021 to become Envision Greater Green Bay’s first executive director, I was of course honored. The organization’s mission and vision — centered on expanding strategic foresight throughout the area — is unique in North America. No other organization is attempting this, non-profit or for-profit.
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Apr 3, 2023 | Strategic Foresight
Phil Hauck, Envision Board President
As they complete their Strategic Foresight training with Garry Golden, our graduates recognize the value of staying in touch and continuing to support each other. A number of workshop participants have asked us to create such opportunities to get together with like-minded former participants to discuss trends they are watching and techniques they are using to infuse Strategic Foresight thinking within their organizations. Our response has been to create small, committed Network Cohorts.
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Apr 3, 2023 | Strategic Foresight
No topic received more attention than artificial intelligence as our winter 2023 cohort shared their final
presentations and received their certificates of completion. Representatives of the following
organizations completed their Strategic Foresight training on March 31:
St. Norbert College
Green Bay Police Department
HSHS WI/Prevea Health
Bellin Health
Foundations Health & Wholeness
Greater Green Bay Chamber
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Bay Towel, Inc.
O’Connor Connective
Click here for the complete story.
Mar 20, 2023 | Signals to Watch
Chris Davis, Envision Board member and Green Bay Chief of Police
High-profile incidents involving police use of force over the past several years have increased scrutiny of police policy, culture, and training. A February 15 piece on ABC News highlights the stark difference between police training in the United States and that in other developed nations. For example, the average length of a basic police training program in the US is 22 weeks, compared with 15 to 21 months in Japan and 2 ½ years in Germany.
A recent report by the Police Executive Research Forum discusses the lack of standardization of training across the nation’s 17,000 municipal, county, and state policing agencies.
A likely future trend in policing will be greater standardization of training, as well as increased basic and ongoing training for police officers. This trend will benefit communities in terms of better police service. It will, however, significantly increase the cost of operating a police department. This may very well combine with a trend toward consolidating smaller police departments into larger agencies serving numerous political subdivisions.
Improved training standards for American police officers will definitely be a trend to watch in the future, as it will have significant implications for public policy and finance while offering the promise of improved public safety service in our communities.
Mar 11, 2023 | Signals to Watch
Heidi Selberg, Envision Board member Upward Mobility Signals Team
Access to transportation has been identified by the Urban Institute and others as a critical factor in boosting upward mobility. But what happens when the definition of access to transportation changes? How do cities and rural areas respond? What infrastructure is necessary, and what becomes obsolete? And what are the implications for the environment?
These questions and others are addressed in a recent report in the Washington Post. In ‘I’ll call an Uber or 911’: Why Gen Z Doesn’t Want to Drive, reporter Shannon Osaka notes declining rates of car ownership among Gen Z (born 1996-2012) and fewer getting their driver’s licenses in their teens – if at all. Reasons include the costs of car ownership, anxiety about driving and possible accidents, and environmental concerns. The availability of transportation alternatives makes it easier not to have a driver’s license or one’s own vehicle – and public transportation is not necessarily the primary alternative. E-scooters, e-bikes, ride-sharing, and on-line alternatives all provide options to driving a traditional vehicle to be with others.
Will it last? Will the trend materialize in less urban areas? And does this change the model for public transportation? Perhaps it already has, as municipalities develop agreements with scooter and bike companies to offer short term use of such vehicles. Another trend to watch!
Mar 7, 2023 | Horizons Newsletter by Envision
Explore Envision’s newsletter, the March 2023 Horizons. We highlight the successful March 1 World Futures Day celebration with Thomas Frey, “gifts from the pandemic,” and other forward looking insights from Envision Board members.
Mar 4, 2023 | Health and Well-Being Signals
By Devon Christianson, Envision Board member and Health and Well-Being Signals Team
Younger generations are challenging companies to put their diversity and inclusion policies into action. According to a 2021 study by Deloitte, “it’s not enough to just market inclusiveness or diversity, as our results also show 57% of consumers are more loyal to brands that commit to addressing social inequities in their actions.” And true diversity and inclusion go beyond race and ethnicity. Brand loyalty also includes images and engagement with persons who identify as LGBTQ+ and those with disabilities. Companies are following suit as they see their gateway to growth reaching younger consumers with positive images and opportunities in a celebrated diverse community. The younger generations want more than just hiring practices or marketing strategies; they want to see functions and business change to match their message.
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