Scenario Planning Logo

  • Scenario Planning: What will North Dakota be like in 2050?

     

    NDDOT is updating Transportation Connection, a plan to set priorities, guide investments, and measure the performance of our statewide transportation system over the next 25 years.

     

    We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we do know we need a plan that’s flexible enough to accommodate uncertainty. Gathering your input will help us understand reactions to these scenarios that will inform overall long-range transportation planning for the state.

     

    Share your feedback by completing the following anonymous survey questions.

     

  • Rural Renaissance

    What if our rural areas become communities of choice in the future?

  • It’s 2045. Imagine you just moved into your new smart house with open space and fields all around. You check your greenhouse before getting on a call with customers on the other side of the globe, while your spouse is out in an outbuilding 3D printing drone components for a manufacturing company based in North Dakota.

  • Characteristics of a Rural Renaissance: 

    • Rural communities become drivers of new population growth
    • Industries and workplaces are connected, smart, and efficient
    • Gig work and home-based advanced manufacturing take off
    • Local and specialized agricultural production and distributed energy generation            increases
    • Local economies diversify and small-town centers expand
    • Recreation and tourism grow significantly
  •  
  •  
  •  

  • Transportation Opportunities and Challenges

  • Cities and Centers

    What if our cities grow quickly and become the centers of the state?

  • It’s 2045. Imagine you and your family are living in a new high rise with your job just a few blocks away. You moved into the city recently because this is where all the opportunities are. No one travels very far anymore as your shopping, schools, workplaces, and even entertainment are all streamed or delivered right to you.

     

  • Characteristics of a Cities and Centers Future: 

    • Mass migration to cities occurs and all new growth is concentrated in urban                  areas.
    • Economy diversifies into professional and technical services.
    • Energy and agriculture remain important, but their share of economic growth              slows.
    • Energy production becomes more distributed and diversified.
  •  
  •  

  • Transportation Opportunities and Challenges

  • Ghost Towns

    What if North Dakota's economy collapses and our quality of life changes dramatically?

  • It’s 2045. Imagine yourself looking for a job half a world away. There isn't much left to do anymore after the energy industry collapsed and frequent storms made agriculture unprofitable. Your friends and family have already moved away after repeated floods, market uncertainties, and with so few jobs still available in the state.

  • Characteristics of Ghost Towns:

    • Population declines across the state as residents move away.
    • Communities age more quickly as younger residents seek job opportunities                  elsewhere.
    • Energy and agricultural industries decline due to policy changes and                            international trade disruption.
    • Limited business investment slows the adoption of new technology and                        innovations.
    • Increasingly severe and frequent storm events decimate infrastructure.
  •  
  •  
  •  

  • Transportation Opportunities and Challenges

  • Smart and Connected

  • It’s 2045. Imagine yourself with instant connectivity where everything around you has sensors, data streams, and is connected to everything else. Your work is mostly online and you can live anywhere and visit everywhere. It's easy to hail an autonomous drone and zip across the town or the state in a matter of minutes.

  • What if innovations accelerate and we live in a tech-driven future?

    • New residents move in and spur growth in diverse communities around the                  state.
    • Technology and innovation spurs job opportunities in new industries.
    • Online work and remote jobs grow significantly.
    • Energy and agricultural industries rapidly automate and become tech-driven.
    • Big data and smart infrastructure connect North Dakota to the world.
    • New technology is rapidly adopted.
  •  
  •  

  • Transportation Opportunities and Challenges

  • Tell Us About Yourself

    We want to be sure that we reach all North Dakota residents. Would you be willing to tell us a little about yourself so we know who visited? Your information will not be shared or used in any other way.

  •  

  • Thank you for contributing to the Transportation Connection scenario planning exercise! While the future is never certain, challenging ourselves to consider how transportation might look under a wide range of circumstances helps us create a flexible, adaptable plan that can evolve with our needs.

  • Should be Empty: