Arctic settlements and cities are adapting to climatic, economic, social and geo-political changes. Strategies for planning and transformation of cities do not only depend on these dynamic and emerging conditions, but also on how existing material cultures provides frames for thinking about possible urban futures. While the Kola cities are responding to with the general trends of Arctic development, their urban spaces and landscapes, which have a specific historical background, condition in particular ways of imagining their future. This presentation asks how a visual reading of the contemporary urban landscapes of the Kola cities and the development of a visual landscape typology could condition imaginaries and the future design and development of cities, how the particular condition in Kola corresponds with the general discourse of Arctic change, and how this reveals both general as well specific aspects of Arctic Urbanism.
Future North session at Arctic Frontiers Conference
22 January, 2015
Place: University of Tromsø