Speaker
Description
The growth of tourism, and particularly second-home development, has created significant challenges for municipal land use planning in Norway. Ownership of a second home in the mountains or coast for sport and relaxation is a long-standing part of Norwegian culture and lifestyle. However, their growing numbers and intensive commercialisation in connection with new forms of tourism have raised concerns about how their development can be harmonised with national targets for environmental sustainability. There is a touristification of second homes aimed at short-term occupation. Climate change is also a factor in encouraging increased construction, with locations previously considered only suited for Winter sports now being marketed as year-round destinations with all the amenities this requires. In this paper, I draw on my qualitative research on the planning dynamics of local municipalities to explore these changes and how planners and politicians address concerns regarding environmental sustainability. The findings of my qualitative research demonstrate that municipalities play a key role in promoting sustainable tourism, but this is done in tension with multiple competing agendas. Also, drawing on a theoretical framework informed by Steven Luke's three dimensions of power, my research reveals the tensions and negotiations between the demands of global tourism, local landowners and the limited resources of local planners and governments. In conclusion, the proposed paper suggests a need to redesign planning procedures. I argue that through planning, the needs of the local economy must be balanced with long-term concerns regarding environmental sustainability and the concerns of a plurality of local identities.
References
Mapis, C., & Xue, J. (2024). Mountains of meaning: the empty signification of environmental sustainability in Norwegian second-home planning. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1-23.
| Keywords | Second Homes; Tourism; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Power; Planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
