In an era of rapid change and growing uncertainty, we are facing an urgent question: How can cities be built for futures that defy prediction? The contributors to this volume tackle this challenge by exploring the role of contingency in urban future-making. Through a range of case studies, they examine relevant aims, strategies, and decision-making processes in both past and present contexts. They reveal how unexpected events and unpredictable factors unsettle established urban conditions but also spark new ideas and possibilities for rethinking and reshaping the city. The volume shows how urban future-making involves navigating highly uncertain environments and extreme conditions to open up new spaces of knowledge and action.