Absent voices: accommodating the interests of future generations in current decision-making processes

Underlying the paper's arguments is the proposition that current built environment policies are based on a particular rationality that fails to accommodate the value of keeping options open in the interest of future generations. This failure brings to the fore the question of what counts as a "sustainable" decision. Consideration is given to how established deliberative techniques might be adapted to include future generations and other "absent voices" in the decision constituency so as to create democratic procedures that are more inclusive.