The co-production of space in a tourist city: A case of Dharamshala

This paper makes tourism an optic to explore intricacies of production of space and how it shapes and provides a form to a city. Taking the case of Dharamshala, a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh, this city profile discusses how administrative decisions have focused on transforming the city and imagines morphing it into a global tourist destination. This paper draws attention toward how cities thrust on certain areas as unique selling points through place branding, destination marketing and management to mark their presence on the global map as well as hope to improve economic potentialities to steer urbanization. Such imaginations not only galvanize new areas of economic activities but also change social, economic and political geography of a city. Myopic planning propels immense construction, often ‘unauthorized’ and ‘illegal’ in the absence of adequate policy and estimation of required resources. On the other side, citizens aspire to enhance employment opportunities and create a business ecosystem. Such aspirations and projections knit and cast dual-interfaced tourism urbanization that co-produce space in cities. Amidst all these activities, the city acquires a form which is antithetical to the imaginations of a vibrant and sustainable tourist city. • Tourism an optics to explore intricacies of the production of space • Small towns develop their unique selling points to promote economies. • Cities and towns grow in-between state initiatives and aspirations of citizens. • Uncontrolled and unregulated growth places enormous strain on municipal amenities. • Practices of citizens and inability of state produce an urban form i.e. , growing haphazardly.