Applying slow tourism principles to landscape design for visitor and resident outdoor experience: Kingston, a township on the brink of high volume growth

Abstract

Focusing on Kingston, New Zealand this thesis investigates how slow tourism concepts might be implemented in design for an outdoor recreation experience that caters for large volumes of people, while not displacing residents.Slow tourism focuses on modes of transport, environmental consciousness and meaningful experience – and is not necessarily slow. Through meaningful experiences and optimising environmental and social resources, it has potential to enhance human quality of life. Tiny home zones, nested circuits for outdoor recreation and a jetty gateway were designed to enhance quality of life while staving off the decline phase depicted in Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle Model. The designs focus on key elements derived from the Six Factor Model of Wellbeing, the PERMA model of wellbeing and Self-Determination Theory. Rather than a prescriptive list of design elements, incorporating a palette of wellbeing terminology is found to be a useful tool in upholding the wellbeing and quality of life aims of national and local government in New Zealand.