Dr. Shearer's research centers how individuals, communities, and societies create scenarios of the future and how these descriptions of possible tomorrows are used to inform present day decisions. Focusing on issues relating to the built environment, his work engages the expansion of the conceptual frameworks of scenario-based studies and also the methodology by which they are developed. A particular application of his research has been understanding the long-term role of military lands, which contribute to both national security—by providing training and testing areas—and environmental security—by sustaining the natural processes that contribute to a society's well being, such as clean air, clean water, and native biodiversity.