Mountain Wilderness France defines tranquility areas in the French Alps
French Alps (France)May 2014
Mountain Wilderness France is completing the definition of tranquility zones in the French Alps. This process began in 2006 with the ratification of the “Convention of the Alps”, which provides the creation of “tranquility areas”, in the Alpine region. Since then, there have been various actions in order to define the concept of tranquility, planning the process and involving the population and local powers. The process of evaluation is based on criteria of tranquility from the human perspective, according to the five senses of perception, together with a territorial diagnosis.
Mountain Wilderness France published in 2008 the first French study on tranquility areas, which describes in detail the concept of tranquility, analyzing the state of the issue in the context of the Alpine Convention of 1991, and evaluating the legal framework for the delimitation proposals that have been developed.The project makes a special mention of the harmonious relationship between man and nature, defining places of peace and quiet, establishing “areas of personal renewal” within natural spaces, without sacrificing the goals of sustainable management. It meant to be also an incentive to attract visitors, redirecting the current tourism model by means of the application of criteria that ensure both tranquility and quality of the territory.
A good example is found in the Chartreuse Regional Natural Park, which includes spaces dedicated to personal renewal and tranquility in the future Charter of the Park 2016, providing the resources and skills necessary to manage it.
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