Second homes: a possible pathway to rural development?

MISCELLANEA GEOGRAPHICA -REGIONAL STUDIES ON DEVELOPMENT, 2023

In the sustainable development of rural tourism, great emphasis is put on protecting the quality of life of local communities in environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects. The phenomenon of tourist enclaves, a classic example of which are closed tourist resorts in developing countries, is indicated as a significant threat to the quality of life of such communities. In this article, we decided to apply the concept of tourist enclaves to the spatial development of second home tourism in peripheral areas (East Poland). The main goal of the study was to investigate the extent to which the spatial layout of tourist villages influences the activities shared and the intensity of social contact between residents and second homes owners, as well as the quality of relations between them. The results indicate significant differences between villages comprising different spatial arrangements.

University of Tasmania …

Hrvatski geografski glasnik, 2012

In Portugal, the expansion of second homes has been an important feature of land use and landscape change. The growing omnipresence of second homes and the inherent environmental, economic, cultural and other aspects of land use are frequent discussion topics nowadays among policy-and opinion-makers, but this phenomenon has not yet become part of the national research agenda. In order to fill this gap, a research project entitled "SEGREX-Second Home Expansion and Spatial Development Planning in Portugal" was launched. The first phase of the project's fieldwork consisted of interviewing local authorities in the Oeste-the case-study region. Its aim was to identify localities with presence and/or growth of second homes, to determine the main features of second home expansion and to learn more about its economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts. Some findings are presented and discussed in this paper

Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure & Events

The topic of second homes has been of major interest in regional, rural and tourism planning and policy since the 1970s. More recently the lens of governance has also begun to be applied as a lens to the topic of mobility, including second homes. This paper provides a review of the literature on second homes, policy and governance and highlights major themes and issues including that of housing policy, sustainability, political representation and the environment. The paper suggests that research in the governance of second homes can help shed further light on problems of understanding and governing mobility and multiple dwelling in contemporary neoliberal globalisation. It highlights that that governance, policy and regulatory structures are much better geared to the stationery and the immobile than they are to the movement of people (and capital) between jurisdictions, as well as to mobile homes themselves. Keywords: mobility, neoliberal rurality, tourism, rural economic development, relationality, sustainablity The paper is an introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure & Events on the governance of second homes. The version here is the submitted draft. For the authoritative version of the paper please consult the journal website.

Economics & Sociology, 2015

The second home phenomenon in Portugal has been studied from the point of view of changing landscapes and lifestyle, but its economic effects have not been empirically established. Research findings presented in this paper are a contribution in this direction. An indepth regional case study in central Portugal confirmed the findings from the literature that economic effects are conditioned by specific socio-geographical contexts, while the frequency and length of owners/users' stay are also relevant. This was evidenced through a survey of morphological and functional features of second homes and their owners' origins, motivations, socioeconomic status, frequency and length of stay, local investments and expenditures. The overall conclusion is that, though related to the frequency and duration of stay and dependent on changes in the consumption patterns, the beneficial economic effects of second home expansion generally outweigh some negative ones for the local economy and government accounts.

Geoforum, 1981

A locational analysis is presented of second (or holiday) homes in Cemaes. West Wales. Time series tenure data for the period 196&-1977 was collected for every dwelling in the study area. By adopting a data collection methodology including systematic local enquiry. it is hoped that this project avoids the main weaknesses of second home studies in Britain. namely definitional problems. data inaccuracy, and lack ofan explicit time dimension. Moreover, data collection and analysis was planned within an hypothesis testing framework. Using elementary statistical techniques. conclusions are drawn as to the factors affecting the spatial distribution of second homes and its evolution over time.

Tourism Geographies, 2013

Underpinning much of the literature surrounding lifestyle migration, counter-urbanisation and second-home use is the question of motivations and future intentions. In this paper, we explore the characteristics and orientations for future use of land by second-home owners in two locales in Victoria Australia, Phillip Island and Inverloch. Using both qualitative and quantitative survey data we find that there are three areas of second-home governance which ought to be considered strongly for future planning in these areas, health, roads and infrastructure and climate change or sustainability. Using data from permanent residents and second-home owners from these areas in collaboration with demographic data, we argue that underlining these areas is a primary concern, that of ageing. However, while these issues burn brightly for both users of property in these places, the ability for the local government authorities to deal with them is limited because of a lack of resources.

Urban Research & Practice

Despite the growth of domestic and international markets in second homes, there has been relatively little research on this issue in the Australian context. Yet several features of this context present interesting ways of extending the debates about second home ownership that have characterised social and policy discussions to date in the UK and Europe. In this paper we consider the overall extent, regional distribution and broader impacts of a form of second home ownership that has risen rapidly and which is facilitated by a range of fiscal and macro-economic settings. We present the results of two national surveys that asked about the ownership of holiday homes and which reveal extensive ownership across a range of social groups. We then move to a discussion of a case study in the island state of Tasmania and to the growing commodification of its holiday ‘shack’ market to add depth to discussions about the localised ramifications of second home ownership. We conclude by discussing our results in the context of the international literature and by considering the public policy issues that our data raise.

Landscape and Urban Planning, 2015

Calls for densification of urban structure highlight questions of compensation: do residents in dense urban environment compensate for the relative lack of gardens, parks and outdoor leisure opportunities in their primary residential area by travelling to second homes or other leisure destinations? How should compensation be addressed in urban planning? In Finland the use of second homes is widespread and may be such a compensation mechanism. The compensation hypothesis has previously been explored in the context of second home ownership. This study examines compensation for the first time with respect to the actual use of second homes. Use is a more flexible variable and second home users are a larger and socio-economically more heterogeneous group than the owners. The quality of the permanent home’s residential environment was assessed by four factors: building density, access to private garden, and accessibility of local and larger green areas. The impact of these residential environment variables on both second home use and ownership were analyzed by regression analysis in which the socio-economic and demographic factors were controlled. Statistical relationships were found between the residential area and second home use, which provides support for the compensation hypothesis. When building density increases or the access to a private garden is reduced, the use of second homes increases. However, accessibility to green areas does not explain use. Analysis reveals that second home use is a more valid indicator for compensation than ownership. None of the residential environment variables explain the ownership of second homes. Keywords: compensation hypothesis; densification; urban planning; green infrastructure; leisure mobility This is the final submitted version of the paper. For the authoritative version please consult the journal website.