MODELING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VISITOR CENTERS IN ECOLOGICAL TOURISM AREAS AS INTERSECTION OF SPATIAL FORMS (URBAN PLANNING TRIAL OF J. LAW'S ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY)

Abstract

Ecological education and information centers, ecological education routes and their surrounding natural and natural-anthropogenic environments form an environmental education and information system in ecotourism areas. This system provides guidance to visitors, contributing to their responsible behavior in the ecotourism area. To enhance the influence of the environment, the author proposes a conceptual model of environmental education system. In this model, the visitor center’s information content (the main theme) corresponds to its localization – in the field of influence of the visitor center. John Law's actor network theory can serve as a methodological basis for modeling the shape of information facilities. Space in the actor network theory acts as a way to organize objects. An eco-educational information visitor center is a topologically multiple object that exists as, and transforms, three forms of spatiality: physical space, network space of tourist routes, and space of eco-educational information flows.

Keywords

• actor network theory
• theory of morphogenesis
• homeomorphism
• social topology
• information object stability
• ecological space
• recreational space