Thesis Defence: Fotini Pitoglou

Thursday, September 14, 2017 2:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Of the thesis entitled: Cyclades Archipelago: Regenerating the Productive and Tourism Landscapes

Abstract:

Through history the shifting dynamics of urban and regional development in Greece’s Cyclades Archipelago shaped its overall identity and its islands’ social, economic and political cohesion. Nowadays the emerged tourism industry constitutes the main dynamic and has affected all the facets of the communities’ existence. In particular, tourism is inscribed by globalization processes that have resulted in a monocultural economy and a “new global cultural economy of space”1 discarding the (until recent years well-preserved) Cyclades’ identity. Each island of the Cyclades Archipelago has experienced these impacts to different degrees according to its stage of tourist resort evolution2, which in turn is highly associated with the seasonality of the island’s landscape3, and the period required for reaching that more developed stage.
 
Departing from the analysis of the tourism landscape and the globalization processes that it induces, this thesis proposes a diversified economy that takes advantage of the islands traditional production while it transmits the intangible cultural heritage to the global traveler through a slow process of experiencing culture. It suggests a network of co-dependencies in Cyclades between its productive and tourism landscapes that mutually benefits the Cycladic communities and the visitors.  In its conclusion, this thesis is about regenerating the Cyclades communities, while creating enriching experiences for global travelers via their constructive blend.
 
Endnotes:
1. Theano Terkenli, “Landscapes of tourism: towards a global cultural economy of space?”, Tourism Geographies 4, no: 3 (2002): 227-254.
2. Πάρις Τσάρτας, “Σχεδίασμα των σταδίων ανάπτυξης του τουρισμού στο νομό Κυκλάδων“, Επιθεώρηση Κοινωνικών Ερευνών: 70 (1988): 191-210.
3. Theano Terkenli, “Human Activity in Landscape Seasonality: The Case of Tourism in Crete”. Landscape Research 30, no: 2 (2007): 221-239.

The examining committee is as follows:

Supervisor:

Val Rynnimeri, University of Waterloo

Committee Member:

Rick Haldenby, University of Waterloo

Ali Fard, University of Waterloo

External Reader:

Taymoore Balbaa, Ryerson University


The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Defence Examination will take place:  

Thursday September 14, 2017                 
2:00 PM               
BRIDGE Center for Architecture + Design 


A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.