Second Homes, Rurality and Contested Space in Eastern Norway

Abstract

From international experience, second homes often lead to ‘contested space issues’. This seems to be grounded mainly in the fact that second-home owners and local populations share the same spaces but disagree about the future development of them. Tensions are often rooted in second-home owners’ eagerness to prevent local developments that may spoil their new-found rural lifestyle. This article, based on a study of eastern Norway and particularly the municipalities of Ringebu and Kragerø, examines how conceptions of Norwegian rurality and the Norwegian second-home phenomenon impact on the level and types of contestations connected to second homes in eastern Norway. The main conclusion is that second homes are a less contested issue in eastern Norway than in many other countries, mainly because vast unpopulated and relatively cheap land has made possible a separation of first and second homes. Simultaneously, rural restructuring processes are changing this picture. Rural land for second-home development is becoming a confined resource in many attractive areas, especially along the coast where the density of second and permanent homes is quite high. Thus, the potential for contestations between second-home owners and rural residents is increasing.