Recursive Cycles in Environmental Futures Research: A Futures Multi-Method Approach

Futures research is needed to produce environmental futures that articulate flourishing naturecultures. Most research, however, stops when the visions of the future are generated and presented to stakeholders, neglecting to use their feedback in refining the futures. This article presents the Recursive Cycle, an approach to futures research that integrates stakeholders throughout the whole process of co-creating future visions. I detail the use of the Recursive Cycle in developing environmental futures of degrowth, the Pluriverse and deurbanised cities. The Recursive Cycle offers the benefits of plurality and criticality, while also allowing researchers to integrate the stakeholders’ feedback to refine and expand the futures.