Chris Luebkeman: Designing for an Unknowable Future

Chris Luebkeman, a renowned strategic advisor and Head of Strategic Foresight Hub at ETH Zürich, joins is on The Century of Cities. Chris takes us on a journey from ancient Roman infrastructure to emerging urban futures, to reveal how the spaces we shape, in turn, shape us. With a distinctive blend of warmth, depth, and curiosity, he explores the urgency of embracing complexity, cultivating intergenerational empathy, and abandoning linear thinking in a world defined by layered, compounding challenges. Drawing from his vast experience, Chris introduces the mindset of a possibilist and shares vivid metaphors, including cemeteries and botanical gardens, to reframe how we think about time, legacy, and responsibility. His reflections offer a compelling lens on how to live, plan, and build with humility and long-term perspective.