The mountain environment and Alpine sports are an integral part of Austrian culture and social life. The meagre snows and frequent sunny days of last winter revealed a very different mountain scenario from the ones we are used to.

While global lifestyles alter in an attempt to contain the consequences of the harm done to the environment, the students of the sixth semester of the course in Industrial Design at Fh-Joanneum in Graz tackled the problem with a project focusing on the Austrian Alps – a tourist destination drawing approximately 100 million visitors from all over the world each year.

The students addressed the issue of climate change with solutions that not only safeguard the natural beauty of these mountains – a part of Austria’s national identity – but also offer attractive alternatives to snow-dependent sports, to preserve a tourism industry of substantial economic importance. The students proposed transport, accommodation and recreational systems that are tailored to this new environment and, most importantly, are ecologically friendly.

The article continues in Auto & Design no. 165

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