Protected Areas and Territorial Tensions: The Ticinese Case of Adula Park

Abstract

This study examines the role of socio-spatial structures and their perception in negotiations concerning Protected Areas (PAs). It focuses on tensions among institutions and various groups of local people with regards to the creation of one particular PA. By bridging the gap between studies on PAs and others on critical urban issues, this paper offers a new perspective for the constitution of PAs. A critical analysis of the content of newspaper articles, editorials and readers’ letters regarding Adula Park (Switzerland) was conducted. A radical discursive difference between supporters and detractors of the Park emerged. As predicted, the findings show the importance of including broader socio-spatial elements in PA negotiations. Future research should further enhance the analysis of PAs in terms of urban territorial policies.