The politics of path reproduction under vulnerable climate conditions: the case of skiing infrastructure expansion in the Austrian Alps

Abstract

Climate change poses risks to regional economies reliant on vulnerable infrastructure. While evolutionary economic geography highlights how established infrastructure sustains economic paths, less is known about path reproduction under adverse conditions. This is vital as climate change destabilises paths, sparking political conflicts over regional economic futures. Through a comparative case study of ski infrastructure expansion in differing climate conditions, this paper combines interviews and archival research to reveal how political conflicts about the region’s future shape path reproduction. It extends path dependence literature by emphasising the role of politics and future visions in maintaining path stability, offering key insights into regional development as climate change accelerates.