AuthentiCity FM, Episode 23: Foresight, Signals, and Steering Into What's Next with Rebecca Ryan

Описание: #citymanagement #localgovernment #disruption #signals

Your water treatment plant turns 100 next year. The price tag to replace it is terrifying. So you patch it together for five more years and kick the decision down the road. Again.

Most local governments don't have good hygiene around thinking futuristically. We copy and paste last year's budget. We make trade-offs that benefit the generation sitting at the table. We plan for hardscape but ignore softscape. We focus on bridges and greenways while social structures crumble and residents feel less engaged, not more.

Rebecca Ryan is a futurist and economist who spent her career helping communities see around corners. She joins us to talk about weak signals, black ice, and the frameworks that help you distinguish between noise and what actually matters. From her mom running for office in Wisconsin to studying demographics and patterns to earning her foresight certification during the Great Recession, Rebecca brings both heart and head to this work.

The conversation moves from intergenerational equity to granny hobbies. From the speed of adaptive learning in AI networks to why more people are deleting social media for their mental health. From the student who wants to build bike paths that give those with accessibility limitations independence to why local government might finally get boring again. Rebecca teaches us how to ask better questions. Not what to look for, but how to look for it. Not what's in your budget, but what's in your strategic plan that would surprise people.

We dig into why technology keeps coming, whether we're ready or not. Why the correct response to black ice is steering into it, not pumping the brakes. Why de-centering yourself and centering the next generation might be some of the best work we get to do. And why this generation of leaders was actually built for this moment, even when it feels like slipping.

The future isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build. Rebecca shows us how to see the signals, steer into what's coming, and remember that progress requires thoughtful change, not just clinging to tradition because it feels safe.

If you've ever wondered whether local government can think long term, or if you're exhausted from the whack-a-mole chaos and just want things to get boring again, this conversation offers both frameworks and hope. The kids really are the magic key. We just have to give them the paths to get there.

00:00 Introduction to Authenticity FM
02:16 Rebecca Ryan's Journey into Local Government Consulting
05:47 Understanding the Future: The Role of a Futurist
08:30 Navigating Local Government Challenges
11:47 The Importance of Long-Term Thinking in Governance
15:21 Embracing Change and Innovation in Local Government
17:59 The Future of Local Government Funding Models
21:24 Rethinking Budgeting Practices
24:35 Engaging the Next Generation in Local Government
26:37 Balancing Tradition and Innovation
30:35 The Role of Managers in Driving Change
32:25 Signals of Change in Local Government
34:22 Rebuilding Social Capital in Communities
37:37 Civic Engagement and Education
41:07 Winter is Coming: Reflections on Change
43:48 Social Media: Expectations vs. Reality
50:35 Signals for the Future
53:24 The Importance of Legacy
01:05:31 Intergenerational Equity and Community Building