NS34 Session 6

 

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Title: Place design – for responsible development

Organisers: Laila Gibson, Lotta Braunerhielm and Pernille Kristensen Andersson

Affiliation: Karlstad University

 

Description

In this session, we aim to exchange knowledge from research focusing on places, and how they can develop both as attractive tourism destinations and thriving local communities. Rural areas today host an increasingly diverse mix of people—tourists, hybridworkers, seasonal staff, second homeowners, digital nomads, students, visiting friends and relatives, and volunteers. As boundaries between visitors and residents blur, new opportunities and challenges emerge. Tourism is no longer solely about attracting visitors; it plays a growing role in drawing new residents, skills, entrepreneurship and innovation to rural regions. The research perspective in this session is formed around the notion of responsible development of places. In other words, a necessary transformation of places that benefits and involve both the tourism industry and other groups of local stakeholders.  

We will discuss how place-based and participatory approaches can support this transformation. By working bottomup and involving multiple local stakeholders, it becomes possible to recognise and mobilise a place’s material and immaterial resources and integrate them with digital and organisational innovations. When local actors contribute to defining challenges, formulating visions and co-creating solutions, the process itself can strengthen social cohesion, confidence and local ownership. Building socially sustainable communities is in the interest of both the tourism businesses as well as other local stakeholders, as these actors often are mutually dependent on each other. 

The session also reflects on the role of researchers in these processes. Rather than standing outside as observers, researchers increasingly act as facilitators and methodological guides, supporting dialogue, bridging perspectives and identifying needs and possibilities. This raises important methodological and ethical considerations regarding power, responsibility and the co-production of knowledge in place development.   

 

We invite researchers to this session to discuss for example: 

  • Responsible local destination and community development  
  • Sustainable transformation of tourism destinations 
  • Inclusive and collaborative research methods