Safewashing in the conspicuous commodification of the hazardous aesthetic

Main, Geoff and Speake, Janet (2025) Safewashing in the conspicuous commodification of the hazardous aesthetic. Geo: Geography and Environment, 12 (2). ISSN 2054-4049

Text Geography and Environment - 2025 - Main - Safewashing in the conspicuous commodification of the hazardous aesthetic.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (909kB)

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the concept of safewashing within the context of the hazardous aesthetic and the attractive view as a new lens through which to research issues relating to widespread, continuing urban property development in unsafe, hazard-prone locations. Recognising that many aesthetically attractive views can be simultaneously hazardous, we suggest that in the process of property development and marketing, unsafe locations may be masked through ‘washing out’ (i.e. overlooking or covering up) actual and/or potential risk in favour of driving urban growth, capital investment and profit. Underpinned by the concept of aesthetic common sense, we explore the commodification of the aesthetically appealing view and the safewashing of the reality of hazard and potential disaster. Questions are raised about how the practice of safewashing within the context of increasing human impacts and the financial costs of disasters may be challenged and addressed.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providedthe original work is properly cited.
Keywords:	aesthetic value, disaster risk, hazards, hazardscape, place marketing, real estate
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences > School of Computer Science and the Environment
Depositing User:	Janet Speake
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2025 14:23
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2025 14:23
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4791

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