The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create it
Lessons from Strategy Building Torino
As part of the three-year VivaCITY project, initiated by Simpleview/Granicus and CityDNA,, Torino is committed to one continuous process aimed at building a bold, long-term strategy.
Time and trust are key.
Think of a stone thrown into a pond: the ripples of change must expand outward — step by step, stakeholder by stakeholder. Too often, organisations jump into strategy writing under time pressure, without first defining the level of ambition, building trust, or putting the right stakeholder systems in place.
Therefore we have built the VivaCITY Academy, inviting stakeholders to join the journey towards a new strategy. We shared with Torino's stakeholders our first findings. It resonated…. Maybe it also resonates with you and your city?
1. Moonshot Thinking?
Flagship events and grand announcements can raise visibility, but real transformation starts by cultivating a city's own confidence. Innovation is most powerful when it grows from local identity, lived experience, and a sense of purpose that's deeply rooted in place.
Torino's strength lies not in attracting major events, but in aiming high from within, leveraging the treasures that are already there.
2. Proud to Be Different?
It's common for cities to be measured against nearby giants — but that comparison often obscures what makes them truly distinct. Distinctiveness is a competitive strength — if it's claimed unapologetically.
Most people in Torino compare themselves to Milano, but Torino doesn't need a mirror city. It needs to look in the mirror and notice that distinctiveness lies in its cultural depth, its tempo, and its grounded elegance. Yes, even better than Milano!
3. Not being 'top of mind'?
Cities that aren't immediate tourist magnets often surprise visitors with their authenticity. They can offer something more memorable than mass appeal: a genuine sense of place. That make them well-positioned for thoughtful, long-term growth.
Torino is only in sixth place if you research the list of Italian Cities people are looking at. Precisely that can makes its surprise factor so powerful.
4. Tourism locked up?
Tourism can no longer be seen as an isolated sector. Its future lies in how it interacts with education, creative industries, business development, and quality of life for residents.
Tourism in Torino is still often defined too narrowly — seen as the domain of those who 'work in tourism'. This needs to change.
5. Place Branding Begins at Street Level?
The most enduring place brands don't come from external consultants — they emerge from collective identity. Cities that invest in listening, co-creation, and local ownership build not just a brand — but a shared narrative that can guide real action.
Urban Lab in Torino is currently listening to what children in the city think about what needs to happen.
6. Much to Offer — Still Under the Radar?
Many cities are full of quality experiences that remain largely undiscovered. Rather than chasing visibility for visibility's sake, there's strength in being a city that quietly exceeds expectations.
Overwhelming satisfaction rates are exactly what makes Torino so well-positioned for sustained, quality-driven growth.
7. Niche Passions, Global Reach?
Every city holds hidden magnets — themes and stories that deeply resonate with specific interest communities.
From Egyptology to philosophy, from technology to automotive culture, from contemporary art to spirituality and mystery - Torino speaks to specific passions.
8. Respect the Past?
Celebrating what's current doesn't diminish the past; it completes the story and invites a broader range of visitors and collaborators.
Torino's history is a treasure — but its present-day creativity, innovation and urban vibe deserve just as much spotlight. It's not only what Torino has been, but what it is becoming.
9. Citizens as Champions?
Cities that involve their citizens in shaping the future aren't just more democratic — they're more effective. Civic pride and participation are the true engines of transformation.
Torino's students, citizens, local entrepreneurs and corporations are very engaged in shaping the future.
10. Now Is the Moment?
Second tier cities are on the rice.
Torino is in a prime position. The window is open — and now is the moment to act with clarity, boldness and shared ambition.
Strategy without execution is a dream deferred. Execution without shared purpose is machinery without meaning.
That's why we return to Peter Drucker's timeless insight:
"The best way to predict the future is to create it."
Creation of a strategy, in this sense, is not an act of power - but of powerful alignment.
by ELKE DENS
This is an article in the VivaCITY series. VivaCITY is a project that provides three years of guidance and support to two European cities in their strategy and implementation efforts.