Civic Futures Remix: Prototyping the Public Pantry and Municipal Grocery Futures

A civic design jam remixing policy, systems, and imagination—exploring city-owned grocery stores and community-driven futures. What would it look like if essential services like grocery stores were publicly owned and community-driven? This civic design jam brings together Portland City Councilors, council economists, and members of the Local Progress network to explore the bold idea of municipal grocery stores.

In partnership with the Agency for Speculative Futures and Technologists for the Public Good, participants will collaborate directly with policymakers and community leaders to prototype civic systems, remix policy, and imagine how public ownership could foster equity, access, and resilience.

✨ What to Expect

At this special event, you’ll hear:

Perspectives from local policymakers, economists, and community leaders

Hands-on design exercises remixing civic systems and prototyping ideas

A chance to co-create visions of more just and accessible futures

Whether you’re a designer, policymaker, organizer, or simply curious about civic innovation, this is a chance to explore how imagination can meet policy in shaping what comes next.

🎉 Details

Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025 • 6 PM – 8:30 PM

Downtown Portland (location details forthcoming)

✨ About Us

Agency for Speculative Futures

A civic imagination lab treating the future as a public work, blending design, storytelling, and systems change. We create experiences and invest in spaces where communities can rehearse and reimagine just, joyful futures

Impact x Design

A community of designers, strategists, and change-makers who believe design has the power to shape more equitable futures. We curate conversations, facilitate workshops, and resource projects exploring impact at the intersection of creativity and systems change.