Ten Sustainable Planning Principles for Second Home Areas

Abstract

Enhancing sustainable tourism destinations is a crucial endeavor. Sustainability improvement measures are needed not only in newly built environments but also in physical capacities that are already established and that have been in operation for an extended period. This contribution addresses second home areas in Denmark which are generally characterized by a persistent and notable planning deficit. The challenge lies in redirecting the trajectory of these areas through meticulous planning and instilling a recognition of their sustainability potential with policy mak-ers, DMOs, second-home owners, and tourists. Drawing upon in-depth case studies in selected second home areas and general inquiries into planning practices, this contribution presents ten distinctive approaches to planning: 1): Optimizing land resource utilization. 2): Planning for sec-ond homes beyond the immediate coastal zone. 3): Enhancing accessibility. 4): Decreasing ener-gy consumption. 5): Ensuring flooding protection. 6): Mitigating insufficient wastewater treat-ment. 7): Facilitating solid waste treatment. 8): Reducing the carbon footprint from the construc-tion. 9): Enhancing biodiversity. 10): Involving the owners and tourists. The article contributes with substance to the tourism planning discussion and points to some of the challenges encoun-tered in the pursuit of the objectives.

Keywords

• planning policy
• climate change
• involvement
• tourism built capacity
• biodiversity