Po-Hsin LAI, The University of Newcastle, Australia
Kyle WOOSNAM, University of Georgia, United States
Naho MARUYAMA, Takasaki City University of Economics, Takasaki, Japan
Gabrielle MCGINNIS, The University of Newcastle, Australia
Tourism is a significant element in urban regeneration often adopted by cities that seek to revitalise their economy and rebrand their destination image. Related efforts can introduce new spatial configuration that creates opportunities and better support quality of life for some urban inhabitants but infringe upon the ‘Right to the City’ (RttC) of others. An examination of tourism impacts from the “right” perspective considers the role of urban inhabitants in claiming, negotiating, and defending their rights to appropriate urban spaces and participate in activities to collectively articulate shared representations of the city and exert influence on its overall development.
The RttC approach was adopted in this research to answer two research questions: 1) How does tourism and urban regeneration shape the spaces and identity of an urban destination and urban inhabitants’ self-identity? and 2) How are the space appropriation and participation of urban inhabitants mobilised to claim, negotiate and defend RttC? The central business district (CBD) of Newcastle, Australia was selected to examine the utility of this approach and the two research questions.
Interviews were conducted with 28 Newcastle inhabitants residing and/or employed within the tourism/hospitality, arts/culture, or public sector of the central business district (CBD) recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. Data analysis was guided by an integrated theoretical framework— Lefebvre’s (1991) spatial theory and Breakwell’s (1986) identity process theory. The two theories complemented each other to unpack how related phenomena along with the identity of the CBD and that of its inhabitants co-evolved in its shifting conceived, perceived and lived spaces, and motivated the informants' to engage in space appropriation and participation. The utility and challenges of this approach to inform destination governance will be discussed.
Mots clés : Lefebvre|identity process theory|space appropriation|urban destination|tourism governance
A105175PL