Second-home Development Research Articles

Mountains of meaning: the empty signification of environmental sustainability in Norwegian second-home planning

Municipal land-use planning for second-home development has become increasingly contentious in Norway, with particular concern regarding its environmental impacts. In this article, we investigate how environmental sustainability is interpreted and practiced in local second-home planning by comparing two neighbouring municipalities straddling the popular downhill ski destination of Norefjell. By applying the analytical concept of the empty signifier, we illustrate how different significations of environmental sustainability in the two municipalities allow local authorities to justify contrasting strategies for second-home expansion despite the cost to nature. The article further indicates the broader possibilities and problems resulting from the malleability of environmental sustainability in second-home planning against the urgent need to deal with climate and nature crises.

Unveiling the impact of second homes on rural development: a scoping review

ABSTRACT To combat rural socio-economic decline, second-home development is seen as a strategy for fostering rural development and mitigating decline across several regions in the Nordic. This scoping review aims to identify key themes in the literature to explore the broader impact of second homes on rural development. A systematic search strategy identified 46 English-language peer-reviewed articles and chapters. The analysis identified four overarching themes: ‘Restructuring rural areas,” “Population distribution,” “Perceptions of rural development,” and “Second-home owners as stakeholders.” Additionally, variables affecting impact were identified, confirming the imperative for context-sensitive studies. The identified gap in understanding how second-home development affects local businesses and their innovative capabilities represents a paradox, given their crucial role in rural development. Addressing this gap requires integrating business-oriented perspectives, exploring themes such as knowledge transfer, linkages, sources for innovation, diversification, and barriers to business development. Recognizing the central role of the municipal level in rural development, this review calls for further research to elaborate on their multifaceted role. However, reliance solely on English-language peer-reviewed sources may overlook significant insights from non-English peer-reviewed literature and other types of literature, potentially limiting the scope of conclusions drawn.

Second homes: from family project to tourist destination – planning and policy issues

ABSTRACT Second homes in Norway were traditionally dispersed within amenity-rich landscapes and natural environments. However, as the stock and demand for higher standards and contemporary infrastructure increased, awareness of extensive land use became more intrusive and triggered calls for national policy interventions to restrain and steer further development. This paper delves into the trajectory of second-home development in Norway over recent decades, specifically focusing on nine mountain villages. This paper is based on secondary research data spanning from 1970 to the present derived from national statistics, previous studies, documents and relevant literature and presents the following key findings: a) The emergence of new second homes is increasingly evident in well-established tourist destinations, evolving into full-fledged “mountain villages” and occurring in a limited, yet prominently visible number of locations; b) Rather than advocating for nationwide restrictions on second-home development and the construction justified with dense development in limited locations, a more effective approach involves placing greater emphasis on the local context resulting in more tailored developments to facilitate benefits while mitigating adverse impacts.

Destination and place: social sustainability and social innovation in second-home tourism

ABSTRACT Second homes are of great sociocultural importance in many countries, and their significance intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic when they acted as refuges in times of crisis. However, the growth and unsustainable impact of second-home tourism questions second-home tourism’s value for host communities and their residents, how it affects destination and place, and collaborative processes. After emphasizing economic and environmental aspects of sustainability in second-home tourism, attention is now directed to the inclusion of the social dimension in tourism and policies due to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This study investigated second-home tourism’s effects on a community and how social sustainability elements can drive innovation to fashion a destination and place for everyone involved, using the case of Øyer Municipality in Southeast Norway. By analyzing tourism strategy goals, political policies, and in-depth interviews, results revealed a gap between strategy goals and the informants’ perspectives, indicating that a lack of resident involvement in innovation processes and poor collaboration between stakeholders affect residents’ quality of life, visitor satisfaction, and destination development. However, economic aspirations and growth involved in second-home development continue to prevail.

Discourses regarding the sustainability and environmental considerations in physical planning of second homes in Norwegian mountain destinations: a comparison between governmental documents, research literature and the general media

The neoliberal trend in spatial planning seemingly causes the loss of control of spatial plans for destination developments in the mountain regions of southern Norway. The predominant local discourse, as seen in local newspapers and other media, was originally positive to the development of second homes. Changes in development plans have, as in the Skeikampen-destination case, incited strong counter-discourses based on concerns for pasture rights, nature values, and access, in addition to sustainability in general. These discourses create a perception of reality in stark contrast to the central- government discourse, as found in the plan and building act, and governmental documents.

Planning of second-home tourism and sustainability in various locations: Same but different?

ABSTRACT Several Norwegian mountain and coastal municipalities have experienced comprehensive second-home development in recent decades. From a sustainability perspective, it is necessary to understand both the importance of various geographical locations within a local context, as the location has an impact on available resources, amenities, and courses of action, and the complex interdependencies between the three sustainability pillars: economy, society, and environment. The purpose of the article is to provide knowledge on why and how various locations matter for planning sustainable second-home tourism. The analysis is based on document studies and interviews from three Norwegian destinations, supplemented with official statistics. The findings indicate that emphasis on, and development challenges associated with, the sustainability pillars differ across locations. They also indicate that local capacities to assess, plan, and implement adequate measures to address specific sustainable development challenges vary. Hence, there is a need for regional and local authorities to reflect on the driving forces behind the development of second-home tourism, as the impacts vary depending on what and who is driving the development. The authors conclude that it matters where second-home development is planned and what sustainability measures are adequate, applicable, and available. Nevertheless, all three pillars must be considered even if just one is enhanced.

Assessing the State of ICZM in an Island Tourist Destination—Applying SESs and Ostrom’s Collective Action Principles: A View from Coastal Communities

This paper aims to investigate the state of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), which is justified as a strategy for managing coastal resources with respect to increasing pressures from tourism, farming, climate change, urbanization, population growth, etc. In the case of island states, the impact of tourism and second-home development is paramount. The use of coastal areas as commons and ICZM as a governance strategy have been established for a long time; however, the implementation of ICZM has remained a challenge due to the forces of global mass tourism and unsustainable resource use in island states. This study focused on views of the coastal communities in North Cyprus, who are in constant interaction with coastal ecosystems for their livelihood. For the analytical purpose of the study, 251 survey questionnaires were administered to eight communities along the coastal areas. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistical analysis with a post hoc test. Socio-ecological systems (SES) and Ostrom’s collective action principles guided the study as the main theoretical frameworks. The study revealed that the ICZM strategy has been neglected and coastal communities are not invited to be involved in any form of ICZM. Furthermore, the study revealed the tourism development has been the major activity of the Anthropocene in coastal areas without a proactive coastal development strategy that is supposed to consider the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems. Practical and theoretical implications are also discussed.

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, SECOND HOME PROGRAMMES DEVELOPMENT AND MALAYSIA EXPERIENCE

Second homes primarily used for leisure and recreation, which located away from the city. The scenario changed over the years as there are a lot of programmes, namely second home or international migration programmes around the world that promote and attract the foreigners, not only to live in other countries but also giving the opportunities to invest in the reporting economy. Therefore, the objectives of international migration have covered from labour (work), recreation and labour, retirement and investment to date. However, previous literature which has studied second home programmes does not give overview of the programmes elsewhere, rather than focusing on programme individually. In Malaysia context, Malaysian government has introduced Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, an international residency scheme that allows the foreigners to live in Malaysia on a long stay up to 10 years. These does not exclude other countries to do so, as in Indonesia, Thailand, Malta, Spain, Portugal and Philippines. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review comprehensively on the development of second homes and second home programmes, to study the pattern behind the evolution, including lessons from Malaysia experience. This paper explains range of historical developments of second homes and second home programmes, in relation of international differences in practice, and the connection with Malaysia experience, MM2H programme. Although this paper will not provide in depth contribution on institutional theory, however it provides an important foundation for further theoretical development, which also offers useful review for case studies of practice.

Factors Influencing Property Owners’ Attitudes toward Different Orientations of Sustainability

The southeastern United States is well-known for its natural beauty, warm year-round climate, and vacation and outdoor recreational opportunities. This study explores and compares factors influencing property owners’ attitudes toward different scales of sustainability in three coastal counties in North Carolina. In this region, tourism is the major economic driver, with second homes comprising nearly 40% of the total single-family housing stock. The research questions of this study then are: 1) Which factors influence property owners’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development? 2) Does residential status (full-time residents vs. second-home owners) best predict property owners’ attitudes toward different scales/orientations of sustainability? 3) Which variables most contribute to predicting property owners’ attitudes toward different scales/orientations of sustainability? A total of 1,278 respondents were surveyed concerning their perceptions of sustainable development, satisfaction with community life, and attitudes toward tourism and second-home development. Factor analyses were conducted to identify three different orientations of sustainability as identified by the researchers: operational-oriented sustainability, community-oriented sustainability, and normative-oriented sustainability. Multivariate regression analyses were used to identify and compare factors which have significant influences on attitudes toward orientations of sustainability among different types of property owners. The study results are intended to inform decision-making that will contribute to the long-term economic, environmental, and socio-cultural sustainability of these counties.

The role of Alpine development regimes in the development of second homes: Preliminary lessons from Switzerland

In a majority of the tourist municipalities of the Swiss Alps, more than 50% of residences are second homes. However, the growing awareness that second homes contribute to the shortage of available land and to the standardization of landscapes in sensitive alpine environments has had little effect on the pace of development. Following the adoption of the popular initiative “Stop the endless construction of second homes”, which aimed to limit the share of second homes in a municipality to 20% of homes in the area, a new law came into force on 1 January 2016, taking a clear stand against further uncontrolled development of second homes.Although it is too early to measure the impact of this new legislation, many observers proclaimed the beginning of a new development era in alpine regions. However, this optimism did not consider the strong position of the developers in these regions and their strong ties to local decision makers. This article appraises the impact of the new legislation on the long-term development model of Alpine tourist destinations, which is still largely based on strategies of land rent capture. Relying on urban regime theory, we maintain that the impact of the new regulation will depend on its ability to weaken Alpine development regimes. Urban regime theory allows us to capture the complexity of the changing context of the tourism industry and highlight five main factors that potentially impact the status of the development of second homes as a central issue of local governance. Based on empirical evidence from the Upper Engadin region, we discuss the measures implemented to regulate the growth of second homes and formulate preliminary remarks on the effectiveness of the new regulations in curbing development of second homes.

PROBLEMS OF SECOND-HOME SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PROTECTED AREAS. POLESIE NATIONAL PARK CASE STUDY

Purpose. To show the scale and direction of recreational housing development within an area with high natural value. Steps to ensure the sustainable development of tourist settlement are discussed. Method. GIS analysis was performed based on archival and current orthophotomaps and planning documents existing at the municipal level complemented by field inventory. Additionally, interviews with residents on PNP were employed. Findings. Four main categories of recreational housing were distinguished in the study area: compact second home estates around lakes, second home estates “attached” to villages; dispersed second homes, and old and new buildings integrated with the spatial layout of a village. The last category can be regarded as the most advantageous from an ecological, landscape and functional perspective but, unfortunately, it is the least common. The intensive development of the other categories poses a threat to the natural and tourist assets of a region. The area of recreational housing in the study area increased from 26 ha in 1992 to 156 ha in 2013, mainly in the form of separate, second-home estates. Another 169 ha have been designated for recreational housing in the current planning documents. Most of the new areas are in the immediate vicinity of the national park boundary or on lakeshores. In view of such planning arrangements, one can expect further development of the negative trends in the expansion of recreational housing and degradation of the natural and tourist assets in other areas. Research limitations and conclusions. The quantitative analysis outside PNP did not include the number of old cottages converted into recreational homes. Practical implications. The results show that greater emphasis on hierarchical planning is necessary, starting from the boundaries of the entire West Polesie Biosphere Reserve to the municipality level. The comprehensive planning of entire tourist destinations, integrating permanent and seasonal settlements and taking into account the protection of nature as well as the most valuable tourist attractions, is no less important. At the same time, more stringent limits should be imposed on dispersed housing and monofunctional tourist housing enclaves. Originality. The phenomena described coincide with trends showed by other authors but it seems that compared to other parts of Poland, the scale of negative spatial phenomenon is higher, and according to other countries the role of spatial planning in coordinating second-home development is much smaller. Type of paper. The article is a case study based on cartographic quantitative analysis.

Cottage sprawl: Spatial development of second homes in Bory Tucholskie, Poland

Currently, urban sprawl is one of important spatial problems in Poland, although to date it has mostly been recognised as an issue in suburban areas. This study aims to explain how the expansion of purpose-built second homes contributes to the creation of a sprawled settlement pattern in areas of high natural value, focusing on the example of Bory Tucholskie as a study area. Two research approaches are used: first, an inventory of second homes and archival aerial photographs are combined to perform a GIS analysis of the factors affecting the location of second homes and other new buildings within the past two decades; second, the results of a survey, interviews and the analysis of documents provide a deeper understanding of the quantitative results. The location of new second homes is conditioned by the presence of the forest, lakes, and their isolation from main villages. Unlike other new developments, second homes create a disorganised, discontinuous and increasingly dispersed spatial pattern in the vicinity of natural areas, which can be explained by the motives for the use of second homes, the practices of their acquisition and the planning regulations. Second homes are an integral part of the sprawl process that is occurring in Poland, which is generated by economic restructuring, increasing consumption, and lifestyle changes.

Motives and behaviour of second home owners in Iceland reflected by place attachment

Second home tourism has a long tradition in the Nordic countries, and seems to be gradually growing worldwide. The processes underpinning the decision to own a second home are often complex and connected with numerous influencing factors such as cultural setting, personal preferences and attitudes, economic situation, as well as practical questions regarding distance, anticipated utilization, and localization factors. The relationship between the environment in which the second home is situated and the prospective homeowners is likely to have a strong geographic character. This study aims to assess and analyse the habits and motivations of second home owners in Iceland and evaluate whether their behavioural patterns and patterns of geographical preferences can be explained by the concept of place attachment. The results reveal that place attachment can be seen as a significant localization factor influencing temporal and spatial development of second homes, which in turn helps explain the observed geographical patterns. While it has also been shown that homeowners with a prior connection to the locations in question do display different behavioural patterns than homeowners who obtained property in locations to which they had no prior connection, the results further reveal that heterogeneity is caused by diversity in lengths of ownership rather than being due to place attachment. In conclusion, the concept of place attachment is of only limited use in seeking to explain differences in behaviour among second home owners subsequent to the acquisition of property, suggesting that different forms of place attachment produce similar behavioural patterns.

Second-home owners and sea-level rise: the case of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France)

Municipalities of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (South-eastern France) are highly vulnerable to climate-change-induced sea-level rise (SLR) due to their low altitude and the great attractiveness of the region for tourism. This attractiveness has resulted in a very significant development of second homes, which represent half of the housing stock and three quarters of the total capacity for tourism hospitality. In the context of climate change adaptation measures related to SLR, it is imperative to consider the perceptions of second-home owners and their place in local governance arrangements. Scientists advocate the implementation of managed retreat policies to reduce vulnerability by reducing the exposure of buildings, but both the social acceptability and the economic feasibility of these policies are very low. We assume that second-home owners have different perceptions of the risk of inundation and are less involved in the governance mechanisms. It is very difficult to mobilise a large number of owners of small flats who are less concerned with, and less likely to contribute to, policy development, due to their less frequent presence. We studied these issues through a survey in three municipalities, based on a sample of 318 residents and 163 second-home owners faced with inundation risk. We observed a lower sensitivity to risk and a stronger attachment to homes on the part of second-home owners (compared to residents). We also discuss, in terms of equity and efficiency, the impact of their low level of engagement in governance mechanisms.

Consumption-led mobilized urbanism: socio-spatial separation in the second-home city of Sanya

Tourism and recreational second-home development has increased rapidly in peripheral and lower tier cities of China in recent years. While tourism-led real estate development has been widely accepted as an effective investment opportunity, it can increase urban segregation and stratification. This pattern is seen in the resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island, China. Sanya’s recreational second homes vary in form and can be categorized into (1) elite-vacation second homes (short stay, private homes), (2) lifestyle-migration second homes (short stay, commercial homes), and (3) retirement-migration second homes (longer term, seasonal homes). Unlike the segregated cities formed by displaced labor migrants in many of China’s cities, seasonal recreational migrants are both economically better-off and are emerging as a dominant political force. The segregated residential spaces created by Sanya’s second-home development landscape further limits interaction and social network building between indigenous local residents and part-time recreational migrants. The perceived home space and feelings of place attachment towards Sanya is under drastic change, with locals feeling increasingly displaced. The new mosaic of consumption-led amenity cities in developing economies is one where traditional models of migration-based segregation are reversed. Wealthier second-home migrants have the capacity for more political power than local residents, as well as relying more on non-localized social networks and multi-nodal home spaces. Consumption-led mobility is an important determinant in building explanations of socio-spatial segregation and stratification in global cities that are undergoing dramatic development change.

Second home owners' perceptions of a polluted environment: the case of Hartbeespoort

Second homes tourism has shown that the scenic natural environment influences the location and development of second homes. Little attention has been paid to the potential impact degraded environments can have on second homes tourism and more specifically their owners. The impacts associated with the degraded environment of Hartbeespoort in South Africa include the decline in property values of second homes, their recreational place utility and consequently the place attachment value of the owners. Potential knock-on effects include the undermining of second home tourism, which directly affects the local economy of Hartbeespoort. Knowing the implications of a degraded environment for second home tourism may incite more responsible behaviour by tourists themselves in addition to an improved tourism policy by government and the acknowledgement of the importance of the natural environment across municipal and provincial boundaries.

A New Approach to Spatial–Temporal Development of Second Homes: Case Study from Iceland

In northern Europe, the interest in rural tourism is widely connected with the phenomenon of second homes as a private place to relax and spend holidays. This paper describes second home development in Iceland with the aim of assessing and analysing changes in spatial patterns. Furthermore, based on the data analysis, a new model of second home distribution development, describing the emergence of existing patterns with regard to both mobility and urbanization processes is being proposed. The results reveal that despite the relatively late start of the second home development in comparison with the Scandinavian countries, second home tourism in Iceland has grown to a significant size. The spatial distribution of second homes in Iceland reflects the country's specific physical, demographic and historical conditions. Common factors generating the need for second homes such as pollution, noise and high levels of stress seem not to be the major catalyst for second home development in Iceland, since a high occurrence of second home ownership can be observed in both smaller towns and rural areas. However, similar to other countries, the largest second home areas have developed a relatively short distance from the country's major cities.

Second Homes: Curse or Blessing? A Review 36 Years Later

Terry Coppock's (1977c) edited collection, Second homes: Curse or blessing? (Oxford: Pergamon) remains the most influential work investigating second-home tourism. Coppock's edited collection explored second-home tourism in a variety of locations globally. Different themes were studied in the collection, which includes planning aspects of second-home development, spatial modelling and predictive modelling and second homes as holiday accommodation (to name but three). Over the last 30 years, second-home research has blossomed, especially since the mid-1990s. Thus, we found it fitting to review the marked influence of this edited collection 30 years after the first conference was held that formed the basis of this book. Therefore, this article will investigate the relevance of the issues identified during the 1970s to issues surrounding present-day second-home tourism. The argument made in this article is that many of the issues that Coppock identified remain important today; however, many of the issues identified are less relevant to many second-home landscapes in both the developed and developing worlds.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF SECOND-HOME TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS (CASE STUDY: SHIRINDAREH DEHESTAN, QUCHAN COUNTY)

Tourism in rural environment expanding due to urbanization, improved transportation and communications systems, the increase in leisure time, etc. and followed by formation and expansion of second homes, the most important phenomena of the twentieth century and present century. Enjoying a privileged position in the study area with natural and ecological and the proximity to the city hosted many tourists Quchan second homes in rural environments. The purpose of this study a variety of second homes tourism development and its comparative analysis from the perspective of owners and residents in Shirindareh Dehestan (Quchan) is. Methods In this study, is experimental and in part of descriptive - analytical. Statistical study of seven villages with 1188 households are that based on Cochrane formula 218 questionnaires in two groups of owners and residents of systematic random method in the region has been collected. Findings showed that the strong relationship between changes of social and economic aspects and tourism development of second homes in the villages there. Highly variable impact of second homes development tourism on social and economic changes of villagers living in 0.502 is estimated, that represents the average impact of second homes tourism is in the area. Investment of non-rural people most affected by a factor of about 35 percent in the formation of rural life has changed. Significant difference in the views of owners and residents to develop of second homes tourism and changes are in the economic aspects of rural life there. Given the findings, solutions include integrated management system designed for second homes tourism, Land-based studies to evaluate the ecological, Studies and waste management and wastewater projects, Administrative regulations relating to environmental design and rural development perspective, Formulation and implementation of regulations related to changes in your gardens and farms to second homes, etc. is proposed.

Stumbling over researcher positionality and political-temporal contingency in South African second-home tourism research

Over the past two decades, South Africa has experienced a series of fundamental changes in its institutional structures and society generally. This article provides an exploration into how these changes have impacted on field-based tourism research. Drawing on experiences involving a range of research contexts and different researcher types, the article first considers the impact of researcher positionality, demonstrating the dynamic ways in which identities and attendant power relations are created and transformed in various multicultural settings. Second, the article considers the importance of political-temporal contingency in framing the research process, illuminating the impact of research focus vis-à-vis the political and temporal context of the research and informants. The article concludes by suggesting that we consider these observations on a broader canvas, reflecting on the challenges these factors present researchers focusing on second-home development in South Africa.