From Midsummer Festivities to Urban Park Aspirations

The Use of Ounasvaara and Development and Conservation Goals from the 19th to the 21st Century

Abstract

National parks have been the most recognized form of nature conservation worldwide, but nature has also been significant in urban environments. In Finland, cities began establishing so-called people’s parks or municipal parks from the late 19th century. These were natural or lightly maintained recreational and hiking areas that were easily accessible and freely available to urban residents. Since 2000, it has also been possible to establish national urban parks with a more official status. The relationship between cities and their people’s/municipal parks has involved tensions arising from urban growth and economic land use requirements.

This article examines the use of the Ounasvaara recreational area near the city of Rovaniemi and its long-term development and conservation goals. It is particularly important to look at conflicts, as they reveal the values and motivations of different stakeholders. The sources emphasize newspapers from the earlier part of the period and city and authority documents from the later part.

From the late 19th century until the mid-20th century, there were no significant conflicts related to the use of Ounasvaara. It was a very rural people’s park where traditional and new uses coexisted. Midsummer festivities and winter sports events at Ounasvaara attracted large audiences, but these events were seasonal and there was little construction in the area. The first initiative for conservation was made as early as 1910, but even then, tourism and nature conservation were not considered conflicting purposes. The area was quite large, and the proportion of private land ownership was significant, so conservation decisions could not be achieved over a long period despite several plans.

A ski lodge was built on the hill in 1949, and a hotel was constructed in 1968. The hotel construction already faced criticism from local heritage and nature associations, contrasting the concept of a people’s park with the interests of a small group of hotel guests. The construction of sports and tourism services as well construction related to city expansion and public services   progressed on the slopes of Ounasvaara from the 1970s, which increased public debate and conflict between conservationists and the business sector, even though the hilltop area largely remained natural for a long time. The land use needs of the city and businesses influenced the development of many other municipal parks, but Ounasvaara was especially impacted by expanded mass tourism, particularly Lapland’s experience tourism. It became such a significant factor that the initiative to establish a national urban park was halted in 2018. Public and local political discussions about developing Ounasvaara became very intense and polarized in Rovaniemi during the 2000s.