Abstract
Exercises formulating visions for future development are frequently seen as 'utopistic' in the sense of non-consequential. But, visions can be 'experiments in dialectical utopianism' following Lefebvre. In trying to understand vision making, more than thirty documents from European cities and regions were analysed. First, a couple of formal dimensions will be presented. Second, the treatment of time will be looked at: in terms of time invested by actors and processes; in terms of ambitions, intended actions, and vision horizons. Third, conflict is notoriously absent from the processes. Accepting the idea of strife, we might discuss whether we are losing an important lever to create different futures? The final appeal is to intensify the en-visioning of metropolitan regions, to be able to manage those complex entities of a future planetary urban society.
