Tourism has been more than ever integrated into a global chain and accessible worldwide. This planetary reach allowed small villages in pristine territories to be independent from the eyes of the extractivist industries and included in the economic development plans for the first time. However, this economic opportunity served as an instrumentalised discourse and exposed these areas to extended urbanisation, unsolicited industries and new forms of exploitation. This research delves into the multifaceted aspects of the tourism paradox: exploring the inherent link between tourism and infrastructure, including its impact on extended urbanisation, cultural-environmental exploitation, degradation and preservation opportunities.

With a specific emphasis on the indigenous riverine village of Alter do Chão in the Brazilian Amazon Forest, this research follows two main argumentative frames: It examines (1) the notion of tourism under the lenses of colonisation, to discuss accessibility and present the methods, designs and practicalities in which infrastructural development is implemented. Then, it advocates for (2) viewing the Amazon as an Altered Nature to explore the ongoing agency of local communities in the region. Finally, the project proposes alternative strategies for territorial planning, design and management, aimed at benefiting from the tourism industry to leverage agency and preservation of cultural and traditional practices. ... Read more

The province of South Holland is a region in the Netherlands that can be characterized by its flourishing economy. The place where the vein of the river Maas stretches out over land and the Port of Rotterdam has settled in as a strategic trade-point. Moreover, the abundant agricultural sector in Westland holds accountable for not only multiple glasshouses, but also many livestock farms in the province.
When it comes to social inclusion in this big trade-port frame, the disconnection between the workers of the port to the chain of trade they are involved in is clearly noticeable. At the same time, farmers have no relation to the port industries and chains of distribution and cooperation.
This said, the vision strives to transform the linear, incoherent and patchy economy into a bio-based economy, truly rooted on circular and cooperative hallmarks. Enclosed within is a strategy that embeds entirely the waste-chains that can be found in both the Port and the agricultural sector and have currently been underused.
The idea of generating bio-energy from processed waste flows from glasshouses and farmers ensures that the production runs on bio-based means. To completely close the cycle, the vision enhances the port provision of CO2 through pipelines underground to the glasshouses in the Westland, as it further supports cultivation of crops and helps to reduce unsustainable energy consumption.
New cycles based on waste, unveil new landscape demands in the Province of South Holland, in which waste streams can be treated, traded and re-used for new purposes. These are zones with high potential to become spots for the exchange of knowledge from both parties (Port and agricultural sector) on how to strive and cooperate in the transition towards a circular and cooperative economy, in the near future.
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