"Celebrated, not just endured:" Rethinking Winter Cities. Issue 8 (6th July 2018) - Stout, Madeleine
Abstract: A winter city is any urban centre that experiences a long, dark, cold, and/or snowy winter. The Winter Cities movement is a more precise concept, referring to cities taking an active role in becoming more appealing and functional in winter, primarily through physical interventions. The movement also has a social purpose, seeking to counter reclusion and "hibernation" in winter through greater use of the public realm. The movement is increasingly influential in policy, as part of a broader shift towards promoting livability and sustainability in cities. However, it has yet to receive sustained scholarly attention. This article brings the Winter City movement more fully into the academic sphere, describing its emergence, purpose, and key attributes, while also examining it critically for silences. Drawing on English‐ and German‐language publications, it places particular emphasis on the range of interventions and design approaches intended to promote greater use of outdoor public spaces, and an associated problematization of quasi‐public indoor environments.