Arctic Urbanization: Modernity Without Cities

Abstract

This chapter explores current processes of urbanization in the Arctic, with a focus on northern Scandinavia. The author argues that theories of urbanism have to be modified and diversified to encompass Arctic cities, most of which are far smaller in scale and population than the metropolises further to the south. According to the author, Arctic urbanism today is produced within the context of a new phase of industrialization related to extractive industries and a changing geopolitical environment. The author provides an overview of the specificities of Scandinavian Arctic urbanity with a particular focus on the cities’ multiculturalism and the characteristic proximity of culture and nature, linking Arctic urbanization and modernization inextricably with the utilization of the natural resources in the cities’ environments.