11 October 2023
Jacky Tao & Ming-chien, Hsu
Taiwan Thousand Mile Trail Association
Link to essay
Presentation: summary: Trail maintenance and management styles are often taken as given, and only regarded in terms of engineering and construction. However, when we bring in critical analysis from studies on governance, including historical studies, political philosophy and state-society relationship, we might see the complex forces behind the existing paradigm, which then will reveal ways for further improvement.
In this month’s talk, we would share studies in Taiwan regarding trailology and governance. We will identify certain ideal-types of governance, how each involves varying degrees of participation from the public, the private, and the third sector, and case studies from Taiwan, volunteer programs in Iceland, England, US and New Zealand, with brief reflections on our recent trips to Mongolia and Central & Eastern Europe.
We hope this talk could be a catalyst for broader comparative studies on Trailology & Governance, and can lead to productive results at the 2024 WTC.
