Part-time amenity migrants: Revealing the importance of second homes for senior residents in a transit-oriented development

Abstract

Transit-oriented development (TOD) has been proposed as a model for sustainable urban and regional development beyond the troubled heritage of modernistic planning. Key to TOD is mixed use and reduced dependence on private cars. However, functionalistic land-use divides persist in the principles of TOD, such as the division between leisure and work and between permanent residences and second homes. These divides relate to, and are emphasised by, a strong focus on urban qualities within the TOD discourse, while discussions on landscape amenities are set aside. Following recent research on compensation theory and amenity migration, this study argues that densification of TODs could increase residents’ dependency on second homes in the countryside. The study provides insights gained from semi-structured interviews with senior residents in newly-built apartments and houses in a TOD location in Sweden. The interviews revealed how the importance of multiple dwellings is enhanced by the densification project and how car dependency is built into the model. The term ‘part-time amenity migrant’ has been coined to describe this phenomenon and increase awareness of landscape amenities in TOD locations.