Participatory mapping in exploratory scenario planning: necessity or luxury?

Exploratory scenarios based on participatory approaches proved helpful in dealing with uncertainty and complexity in urban and transport systems. Such scenarios usually create coherent and manageable narratives that capture broad patterns and trends at global scales. However, significant difficulties exist in bridging exploratory scenario narratives with spatial and local realities, which is crucial for guiding policymaking in urban, regional, and mobility planning. This paper explores whether and how exploratory scenario narratives and participatory mapping processes can establish a reciprocal relationship, wherein narrative-based maps contribute to spatially shaping scenario narratives. It uses an experimental approach involving three participatory workshops with experts and local stakeholders specifically tailored to the mapping of land use and transportation-related scenario narratives for the year 2050 in the Henares Corridor (Madrid, Spain). The spatial transformations mapped during workshops have indicated that participatory mapping processes have an impact on scenario narratives in different ways, enabling the identification of three categories of mapping episodes with different meanings: (i) complementing narratives, (ii) expanding narratives, and (iii) modifying narratives. The paper closes by examining the implications of the obtained findings for policymaking, including a reflection on the research’s limitations and potential for application in real-world planning processes.