Feb 2023: InfraNorth at ASSW 2023 – Individual Paper Contributions

Several team members will represent InfraNorth at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2023, which is organized by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI), and the University of Vienna from February 17 to 23, 2023 in Vienna, Austria (in chronological order).

Olga Povoroznyuk, Nikita Strelkovskii and Peter Schweitzer present a paper entitled “Building arctic futures: Infrastructure projects and local scenarios” at the community workshop “Towards Sustainable Infrastructure: Environmental, Technological, and Societal Impacts of Development in the Arctic“. The paper features the goals and interim results of InfraNorth scenarios work and local workshops in planning.
February 20, 14:00-18:00 (GMT+1), Hörsaal 3.

Alexis Sancho Reinoso and Timothy Heleniak present a paper entitled “Tunnels as double-edged sword? Transport infrastructure and demographic and spatial dynamics in the Faroe Islands” in the hybrid session “Arctic Infrascapes: Engaging Communities, Environment and Infrastructures Through Arts, Science, Local and Indigenous Knowledge“.  The paper focuses on the relevance of a quite unique road network connecting several islands of the archipelago through sub-sea tunnels, and how this infrastructure has contributed to keep population numbers across the last 6 decades, but also to increase commuting to the urban centers and to exacerbate urban sprawl in some areas.
February 21, 8:30-10:00 (GMT+1), Hörsaal 1.

Philipp Budka presents a paper entitled “Sustainability transformation and transport infrastructures in Northern Manitoba, Canada” in the hybrid session “Arctic Sustainability Transformation“. The paper focuses on the role of transport infrastructures in sustaining and transforming the town of Churchill at the Hudson Bay. At the same time, it critically reflects upon the very notion of sustainability (transformation) from an anthropological and cross-cultural angle.
February 22, 10:30-12:30 (GMT+1), Hörsaal 2.

Alexandra Meyer presents a co-authored paper together with Anatoly Sinitsyn, Juditha Aga, Julia Lutz, and Oskar Landgren, entitled “Towards a better management of cultural heritage in changing Polar regions: Introducing the project PCCH-Arctic” in the session “Arctic Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Adaptation“. The paper presents the participatory and multidisciplinary project Polar Climate and Cultural Heritage (PCCH-Arctic), which explores how historical infrastructure on Svalbard is affected by and can be adapted to climate change, and inquires into the diverse values connected to cultural heritage and management and adaptation approaches.
February 22, 16:00-18:00 (GMT+1), Hörsaal 1.

Ria-Maria Adams presents her paper “Resurgence of Chinese Arctic tourism? Imaginations, infrastructures and anticipation in the context of Northern Finland” in the hybrid session “Thriving Arctic Communities: Towards Post-Pandemic Resurgence“. Her paper explores how “imaginary infrastructures” featuring the elusive aurora and Santa Claus are made real for tourists in Rovaniemi. This paper highlights the effects of Chinese tourism before the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of local residents, infrastructure, and tour guides.
February 24, 08:30-10:00 (GMT+1), Hörsaal 5.