SITRAP's National Student Competition within place development 2024: Win NOK 30,000 for your proposal on how to prepare a destination for selfie tourism.
Norway is a country of with many areas of great natural beauty and interest. What effect does social media and Insta-tourism have on Norway's urban and natural hotspots?
When an influencer shares a spectacular photo of a hidden gem, it can inspire hordes of tourists to come to snap the same photo - but the picture often doesn't show the whole truth. Such images say nothing about the major challenges unexpected mass tourism can pose for buildings, infrastructure, culture, nature and populations.
Do you know a place with such challenges? What measures can be taken to avoid such problems and contribute to positive local development?
We invite you to a national student competition within place development: Selfie tourism - What lies behind the glossy image?
The prize fund is NOK 100,000, with the best entry receiving a prize of at least NOK 30,000.
Submission deadline: 22 September 2024
The competition is organized by NMBU's Centre for Excdellence in Education, SITRAP.
Who can participate?
Students from all subject areas and universities in Norway can participate, but the team leader must study a spatial planning subject at a Norwegian institution or be a Norwegian student studying a similar subject abroad. Each team must have 3-6 members. The team leader registers the team.
By spatial planning subjects, we mean degree programs that cover all variants of site development, community planning, urban and regional planning, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, property development and real estate.
Team members can be from any discipline.
We encourage participants to form interdisciplinary teams, also across study institutions/departments, but this is not a prerequisite for participation.
How can I participate?
Submit your entry by sending an e-mail to sitrap@nmbu.no attaching or sending a link with your proposal.
Submission deadline for 2024: 22 September at 23.59.
Problem areas
Selfie tourism: What lies behind the glossy image? is a topic that affects many aspects of urban and regional development. Choose a place that you are familiar with that you know faces these challenges, or perhaps you are inspired by some of the places mentioned below. Maybe you discovered such a place during your summer holidays?
(In Norwegian)
Lofoten:- Drømmebilder på Instagram, men naturen blir taperen
- Lofoten-strand toppa lista over verdens beste strender
- 1600 turgåere har trosset kjetting og advarsler opp til Reinebringen – NRK Nordland
- Lofoten: To dødsulykker på et halvt år på Reinebringen – Moskenes leter etter løsninger – NRK Nordland
- Aukande besøkstal: – Allemannsretten er på nokre måtar under press
Trolltunga
- Anna stoppar dårleg kledde turistar på veg opp Trolltunga: Har ført til færre redningsoppdrag – NRK Vestland
- Salim og Marie-Line gjekk til Trolltunga i joggebukse – utløyste full redningsaksjon – NRK Vestland
Stalheimskleivane in Voss: Den populære turistattraksjonen Stalheimskleiva blir stengt for all trafikk – NRK Vestland
Urnes Stavkyrkje: Turistbæsjproblem på Ornes – Stavkyrkja tar grep – NRK Vestland
Stegastein – Aurland: Fullt kaos på smal turistveg
Kossdalssvingene on Osterøy: Kossdalssvingane på Osterøy utanfor Bergen rustas opp for å tole Instagram-turisme – NRK Vestland
Hoddviksanden: Nå kan det bli turistskatt på Hoddviksanden
Article on selfie tourism from 2016, written by an NMBU master student (Norwegian)
Debate piece from 2018 on travel destinations on the 'pain threshold' (Norwegian)
What is local development?
Local development encompasses a wide range of topics that are crucial to creating viable local communities, whether it concerns business, demographic development, the local environment, integration, cultural diversity, social strata or conditions for raising children.
Why a competition on local development?
Local development and community development are at the core of spatial planning. They touch on issues that cross many disciplines. Good, sustainable local development requires competence in interdisciplinary problem solving. This cannot be learned exclusively, but is something that must be practiced. Students rarely get the opportunity to work across different fields of study. By participating in this competition, students can gain insight into what meets them in working life, where they often have to collaborate with colleagues from different disciplines and professions.
Join our workshop
During the weekend 6-7 September, Urban Lab organizes the kick-off of the year's student competition. There will be exciting and inspirational lectures that give unique insights into the topic. Tin Phan leads a workshop with the supervisors who can help the groups to identify their main idea for a solid final delivery. Urban Lab puts together interdisciplinary groups for those who sign up alone. The weekend is a good opportunity to get to know your fellow students.
Important dates
- Workshop 1: Wednesday 28 August. Introduction and matchmaking.
- Workshop 2: Friday 6 - Saturday 7 September. Keywords: Review of text, background, defining case and what should be the basis; strategy. Production, diagram, main idea.
- Submission: 22 September 23.59.
- Award ceremony: 23 October at SITRAP`s annual conference.
More information about the competition will be published as it becomes available. Register your interest and receive updates about the competition:
Questions? Contact sitrap@nmbu.no