Kenting Forest

TAIWAN, 2003

The design of tourist infrastructure walks a fine line between the generic and the particular. Tourism is a global economic driver and the medium of contact between peoples. Tourism can be a force for prosperity, conviviality, and the celebration and preservation of lo- cal cultures and character. However, tourism can also lead to the destruction of history and habitat and to the imposition of the uniform infrastructure of globalism. How, in an age of mass tourism, can the slow rituals of the teahouse hold out against McDonald’s? Properly conceived, tourism can be a strong friend of place. It can stimulate economies, provide new public facilities and conduce identity. In developing new infrastructure for rational tourist activity in Taiwan, we propose the following principles to help assure the successful integration of these projects into the life of the island.

Credits: Michael Sorkin, Makoto Okazaki