The Effect of Globalization on the Places of Summit County, Colorado

The movement of people, capital, and culture associated with increasing globalization has had a profound impact on shaping the places we inhabit, the cultures we interact with, and the ways we live. The development of Summit County, Colorado, represents one of the most profound landscape evolutions of the past 160 years. In less than two centuries, the forces of globalization developed an isolated area with limited agricultural potential, unruly topography, and an inhospitable climate into one of the most expensive and well-known tourist destinations in the United States (Blevins, 2023). The progression of this process underscores how the imposing force of globalism can reframe our understanding of place and, by extent, reinforce or challenge existing cultural, social, and ideological norms. By examining how the changing focus and intensity of globalization have been reflected in present and historic development paradigms in Summit County, Colorado, we can see the profound power of globalization in shaping the ways we interact with and consume nature and the places that surround it.