Test your knowledge about the world using these 13 questions.
Hits: 7590
Rhpositive.net is the personal blog of Roland Hochstrasser. The contents presented on these pages are the result of work carried out in various fields, with a particular interest in cultural policies, territory, tourism, and communication strategies. The purpose is certainly not to provide definitive answers, on the contrary: the texts propose reflections that aim to stimulate questions for further developments. Hence the name and slogan, which emphasize the importance of having constructive and positive perspectives.
Since 1985, the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) has been the European Union's flagship cultural title, awarded every year to one or more cities across member states and, since 2017, occasionally to a city from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or an EU candidate country. What began as an invitation extended mainly to major national capitals (Athens, Paris, Madrid, Berlin) has, since the early 2000s, evolved into an open competition that increasingly favours small and mid-sized cities: places like Matera, Nova Gorica, or Bad Ischl now compete on equal footing with cities many times their size. The map traces more than 85 designations spanning 1985 to 2030.
Hits: 5
The publication “Cultural Observatories Worldwide: A Map for Reading Culture” (Thematic Focus no. 2 - 2026) presents an international survey of cultural observatories, with the aim of providing an overview of these institutions and their main characteristics.
Hits: 593
This article analyzes the dual phenomena of overtourism and undertourism, examining their causes, socio-economic impacts, and the complex challenges they present for contemporary tourism management. By contrasting these dynamics and exploring strategic approaches to sustainable governance, it situates the debate within broader discussions about mobility, cultural heritage, and urban resilience. The piece highlights key concepts, case examples, and future directions in the study of tourism flows.
Hits: 3640
This article explores how Dubai has constructed its future-oriented urban imaginary through architecture, mega-events and cultural narratives, positioning itself as a laboratory for global visions of modernity.
Hits: 3273
Cultural Observatories emerged in the late 1980s, gaining prominence over the last two decades. Initially inspired by Grenoble's Observatoire des politiques culturelles (1989) and Strasbourg's Observatoire européen de l'audiovisuel (1992), these observatories now number more than 100 across four continents, with a significant concentration in Europe. They vary in scope and focus, reflecting the diversity of cultural landscapes.
Hits: 3549
This article explores how artificial intelligence systems represent and generate visions of urban futures, analyzing the visual and conceptual imaginaries that emerge from algorithmic processes. It examines how machine learning models interpret cityscapes, the epistemological implications of AI-generated architectural visions, and the relationship between computational aesthetics and cultural narratives about urbanism. By situating AI representations within broader debates on technology, urban theory, and visual culture, the article offers a critical perspective on the future of cities.
Hits: 4241
At a quick and superficial reading, statistics and culture may seem like two separate realities that only interact under close supervision. To simplify, the cultured individual tends to stigmatize the false certainties hidden behind numbers, while the statistician perhaps looks with barely concealed annoyance at that galaxy of activities that escape easily definable metrics.
Hits: 1892
This article presents basic concepts and critical perspectives on ecosystem alterations, focusing on how human activities have transformed biotic and abiotic system components. It synthesizes ecological theory with reflections on perception and communication, situating scientific evidence within broader debates about environmental change and media representation. Key elements include definitions of ecosystems, structural properties, scales of alteration, and the role of human impacts in shaping contemporary dynamics.
Hits: 15397
Latest
- Capitals of Culture in Europe: one European title, many national ones
- Cultural Observatories Worldwide: A Map for Reading Culture
- Globetrotters. A Repertory of World Travelers, 1850-1945
- Giving a Voice to the Past: Intangible Heritage and Forgotten Territories
- Overtourism vs. undertourism: concepts, impacts and management strategies for contemporary tourism
Impressum
Copyright 1999-2026, www.rhpositive.net
Contact info@rhpositive.net
Source citation "Roland Hochstrasser, www.rhpositive.net"
Images Roland Hochstrasser unless otherwise specified
Translations Openai ChatGPT