Abstract
The coastline of Western Pomerania has natural and cultural assets that have promoted the development of tourism, but also require additional measures to ensure the traditional features and characteristics are protected. This is to ensure that new developments conform to a more uniform set of spatial structures which are in line with the original culture. Today, seaside resorts are characterized by a rapid increase in development with a clear trend towards non-physiognomic architectural forms which continually expand and encroach on land closer to the coastline. This results in a blurring of the original concepts that characterized the founding seaside resort. This study evaluates 11 development projects (including a range of hotels, luxury residential buildings and hotel suites) built in 2009–2020 in the coastal area of Western Pomerania. An assessment of architecture-and-landscape integration for each development project was made, using four groups of evaluation criteria: aesthetic, socio-cultural, functional and locational factors. The study methodology included a historical and interpretative study (iconology, iconography, historiography) and an examination of architecture-and-landscape integration using a pre-prepared evaluation form. Each criterion was first assessed using both field surveys and desk research (including the analysis of construction plans and developer materials), and then compared with the original, traditional qualities of the town. This study demonstrates that it is possible to clearly identify the potential negative impact of tourism development on the cultural landscape of seaside resorts, and provides recommendations for future shaping, management and conservation of the landscape.
Highlights
In view of the progressive landscape degradation occurring in many regions around the world as a result of the intensive development of tourism, it is necessary to continuously monitor this process and develop effective ways to conserve the natural/traditional landscape and promote a sustainable approach to spatial management and tourism
Given the natural and cultural assets of this region, these areas are attractive for tourism-driven development projects, with a significant number of planning decisions being made in order to promote the tourism-related economy but which often result in landscape degradation
The resulting need to experience luxury, opulent aesthetics and a desire to develop intellectually in a variety of forms, has influenced the way in which the town was shaped, matched by the exquisite lifestyle and expectations of the guests
Summary
In view of the progressive landscape degradation occurring in many regions around the world as a result of the intensive development of tourism, it is necessary to continuously monitor this process and develop effective ways to conserve the natural/traditional landscape and promote a sustainable approach to spatial management and tourism. According to the National Heritage Board of Poland (NID) data, there are 3139 objects entered in the register of immovable historical monuments in the West Pomeranian Province. Many of these features are architectural, related to the development of the recreational and spa facilities in the second half of the nineteenth century, which have shaped the unique cultural landscape of the region. Given the natural and cultural assets of this region, these areas are attractive for tourism-driven development projects, with a significant number of planning decisions being made in order to promote the tourism-related economy but which often result in landscape degradation. Changes in the cultural landscape and development of seaside resorts are enhanced as tourism causes additional broader changes in social and demographic factors [7]
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