elastic city


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Since the end of the 19th century the Alps have taken a special position in the European leisure landscape. The former 'wilderness' at the heart of Europe has been transformed into one of the most important touristic areas in the world. Tyrol has benefited from this development. Its wide range of leisure facilities, together with the vast amount of visitors every year, have led to the transformation of the urbanised area into an Elastic City that expands and contracts according to seasonal fluctuations. In winter and summer, numerous sports-minded skiers and hikers populate Alpine villages, whereby the settlement area in the adjoining valleys is stretched to its limits. Off-season, when there are fewer visitors, the city shrinks down to its infrastructural backbone: the 'Inntal'.
  
 
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