Sharing Places: The role of second-homes in Nordic coastal communities

Traditions around second homes are well established in northern
Europe, although there are variations between and within
countries in terms of development patterns and the use of this
type of housing. Focusing on coastal communities in Northern
Norway and the Faroes, this study explored how year-round
residents and second homers sharing the same location coalesce
and form “open communities” that can tackle challenges such as
depopulation and remoteness. We found that second-home
tourism presents opportunities for small communities that are in
accordance with the concept of “small tourism”. However, each
local community has its own specificities that need to be taken
into consideration when addressing and planning the
development of second homes and community-based tourism.
Depending on the different settlement patterns of second homes
in Nordic coastal communities, second homers take part in
“sharing places” in “open communities” in different ways.