By Alexis Sancho Reinoso and Timothy Heleniak In this blog post, we explain how InfraNorth plans to contribute to the long tradition of mapping the Arctic regions by providing local-scale portraits on how local communities engage with existing and planned transport infrastructures in times of environmental, economic and geopolitical concerns in the whole region. A […]
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When Imaginary Infrastructures Become Real: The Development of Santa Claus Tourism in Northern Finland
Ria-Maria Adams & Mia Bennett Each November as the snow starts to fall in northern Finland, the city of Rovaniemi begins to prepare for the annual Christmas tourism season. From Europe, the Middle East, and more recently Asia, visitors travel to the capital of Lapland to experience the magic of Christmas in real life. When […]
Reflections on the InfraNorth Workshop “The Global Economics and Geopolitics of Arctic Transport Infrastructures”
Philipp Budka and Olga Povoroznyuk On September 23 and 24, 2021, the InfraNorth project organized the workshop “The Global Economics and Geopolitics of Arctic Transport Infrastructures” at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Vienna. The first day started with an introduction by Peter Schweitzer, Olga Povoroznyuk, and Timothy Heleniak to […]
The Russian Arctic in Focus: Why Study the Northern Sea Route and the Communities along Its Way
Olga Povoroznyuk On October 11, 2021, the Russian government announced its ambitious goal – to provide year-round transportation on the Northern Sea Route within the coming two years. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is Russia’s largest Arctic maritime transport infrastructure. In the past, it brought to life a number of coastal communities and triggered the […]
Can New Arctic Transport Infrastructures Benefit Northern Residents?
Peter Schweitzer Contemporary economies and societies cannot function without the transport of goods and people. If we ever needed a reminder of that, the March 2021 blockage of the Suez Canal by the container ship Ever Given certainly was an impactful one. The Arctic, due to its remoteness, harsh climatic conditions, and low population density, […]