New Nordic stereotypes: In search of alternative design practices for tourism in peripheral landscapes

Abstract

A wave of tourism-related interventions in peripheral Nordic regions engages tourists’ expectations relating to visual landscape appreciation and the romantic experience of remoteness. Exploiting romantic scenery or staging the most spectacular views is not problematic in itself. However, when this quest for aesthetic experiences translates into stereotypical architectural solutions, spectators potentially remain dissociated from further engaging with local landscapes. This article addresses the lack of synchronization between the increasingly complex construction of the ‘tourist gaze’ and design practices aiming at ‘place-making’ for tourism interventions in peripheral landscapes. The topic is approached via a study of the still-unfolding Norwegian Scenic Routes project, a celebrated reference used for general application. In addition, two examples of activity-based tourism are discussed as alternative design practices in peripheral regions that engage residents, tourists and local landscapes in more multifaceted dialogues and complex processes towards meaningful relational practices of place-making.

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