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Life Science Journal 2012;9(4) http://www.lifesciencesite.com Spatial Analysis and Geographical Configuration of Second Homes: A Case study of Rural Districts of Ramsar County Khadijeh galyan moghaddam 1, Teimour Amar (Ph.D) 2 1. PhD student, Rasht branch; Islamic Azad University; Rasht; Iran 2. Associate prof.dept of geography, Islamic Azad University- Rasht Branch E.mail: Amar@ Iaurasht.ac.ir Abstract: Today, different factors underlie the development of second homes, as a major geographical phenomenon and a new model of movement. These factors include the ever-increasing population and urbanization, technological developments, change in attitudes and lifestyle, rural-urban migrations, people’s attachment to their birthplace and reverse migrations, the rise of villagers’ capitals, economic reconstruction, rural destitution, and development of transportation and communication. This study has been initially concerned with exploring the number of second homes across the world. The configuration and spatial model of second homes have then been studied. The study area covers rural regions of Ramsar County in Mazandaran province (4 rural districts including 256 villages and settlements). Geographically speaking, this area encompasses four major regions: coastal, plain, foothill, and highland. The findings suggest that there are 7674 second homes (56.30% of total residential units) spread over the area’s rural regions. Distance from the city and rural road decide second home configuration and residential density. Also, there can be observed two types of houses: modern and traditional. There is a temporary population of almost 30660 in Ramsar County, constituting 43.8% of the total population of 70000. Field studies and library research shape the present study. Yet, the study is based on field studies. GIS, Excel and Spss software have been employed to extract maps and tables. [Khadijeh galyan moghaddam, Teimour Amar. Spatial Analysis and Geographical Configuration of Second Homes: A Case study of Rural Districts of Ramsar County. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):4999-5008] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 749 Keywords: spatial analysis, Ramsar, Iran, second home, geographical configuration 1. Introduction working flexibility, transport and communication “Second home” proves to be a crucial development and cuts in transport fares (Müller, geographical phenomenon (Opačić & Mikačić, 2009: 2007: 198). Studies suggest a direct relationship 163). This phenomenon can be more or less observed between the rate of second home occupancy and in all countries. Configuration and development of income. It can be, therefore, expected that more second homes in developing countries have been second homes are relatively more occupied by often spontaneous, unplanned and bereft of any tourists in countries enjoying higher welfare regulation (Rezvani, 2008: 31). This has given rise to standards. The same argument holds true for Iran the degradation of natural resources and agricultural where tourist attractions, landscapes and temperate farms, the rise of property values, scarcity of housing climate in its rural regions have recently engendered for local people, and spatial heterogeneity and a dramatic growth in tourism in these regions aesthetically undesirable landscape. In the face of the (Rezvani, 2011:39). Further, there have been dynamic nature of second home, this term has also different motives for constructing second homes in been referred to as “up-country residence”, “holiday rural regions, including, agriculture demolition, home”, “cottage”, “summer home”, “weekend recognition and development of tourism, growth of home”, “camp”, “tent” and so forth. For instance, the rural-urban and urban-rural (reverse) migration and international term “cottage” and second home is used rural abandonment (Galyan moghadam, 2009: 192). in Canada and China respectively “Wang, 2006:20). Deciding on the number of second homes Second home is also a preferred term in Iran. Today, and proposing a working definition of the term, second home expansion, as a new model of housing researchers are currently facing a couple of problems, and mobility (Pitka¨nen, K. & M. ¨la¨inen,V, 2008:1), namely the ever-growing number of second homes, indicates urbanization level in different countries, lack of official statistic, failure to tell the primary and which covers a vast array of factors, including, second homes apart, and poor statistical senility and urban population density, the rise of measurement. Yet, most of the definitions provided capital in urban regions, abandonment of rural for second home seek to differentiate between housing, reconstruction, economic transition from permanent and non-permanent housing. industry to service, change in working conditions and Investigations reveal that second homes have a http://www.lifesciencesite.com 4999 [email protected] Life Science Journal 2012;9(4) http://www.lifesciencesite.com supplementary function in the field of tourism, was 4274. This number rose to 5247 in 1900-04 only retirement period, investment, and housing, to rise again to 5534 in 1905-09 and reached 216193 suggesting the typical nature of second homes in 1995-99 (Tress, 2002:119). Second home (Wang, 2006:41). In this regard, the Institute for development in Stockholm archipelago has also Social Innovation has defined second homes as experienced a 29% increase from 1991 to 2000 “those homes occupied less than 91 days in each (Marjavaara, 2007:34). In 2001, the share of second year” (Rezvani, 2003:60). homes in the total homes was 16%, in which 15% of Today, in many parts of the world (this households resided and the rates of second home includes Iran), second homes have been distributed in growth (in Spain) in 1991 were 11.9% and 15% in both modern and traditional form which have, in 1991 and 2001, respectively (Colás et al., 2007:431). some sense, different functions. Despite the different Also, in 2001 there were 182513 second homes in functions this phenomenon fulfill, the configuration Croatia (9.72% of the total dwellings), of which of second homes associates with regions with high 117893 properties were located in the coastal regions, eco-tourism potential (Sharifnia, et al., 2010), accounting for 46.59% of the total second homes in indicating the disproportionate configuration of this Croatia (Mikačić, 2007, cited in Opačić and Mikačić, phenomenon in rural regions worldwide, particularly 2009: 161). In many countries second home in developing countries. Notwithstanding the occupancy is not confined to domestic households multifaceted effects of this phenomenon, such an and many people living in developed countries reside unbalanced distributional pattern is due primarily to in second homes in other countries of temperate the lack of planning in constructing second homes in climate. Take the example of Muller analysis (2007) most countries including Iran. Absence of planning in which revealed that Sweden was home to 498943 this filed appears to be one of the major deficiencies cottages (second homes) in 1996 which increased to in rural programs, which is deemed to be one of the 500 to 700 thousand cottages in 2007. German major factors of underdevelopment in rural owners consumed about 4000 and 5500 second construction in many geographical areas. homes in Sweden between 1991 to 1996 and 2001 1.1 Number and geographical configuration of respectively. Germans also occupied 300 thousand second homes across the world second homes in Spain, 100 thousand in France, 80 Identifying the number of second homes is thousand in Italy, and 65 thousand in Portugal (G. always giving geographical researchers a big Folkesdoter, 2003:49). Second homes are widely headache as there is neither statistics regarding the distributed across the world. There were, for issue nor the existing statistics are measured with example, 329000 second homes in South East and precision (Jaakeon, 1986:369; Muller, 2002:14). In South West London (England) in 1994-95 and 2000, for example, Ähtäri municipality in 502000 in 2003-04. Further, studies suggest that there Osterbothnia (Spain) which is a small municipality were nearly 5000 second homes in North Ireland (NI) reported the number of second home owners to be in 2001 (Paris, 2006:7) and 64000 ones in Colorado 494, with the density of 637/100 . This in 2005 (long, et al, 2005:1-2). In some places compares unfavorably with other reports suggesting multiple homeownership (two or three holiday that there were 265 second home owners in this very homes) is common. For example, in China in the mid 90s there were about 6.2% primary and second home region (Müller, 2002:14). Nevertheless, using filed studies and occasionally official statistics, several owners, of which 12% owned more than two homes researchers in different countries have, in a sense, (3 homes at least) (Huang & Yi, 2011: 434). In Iran, managed to come up with the number of second northern regions of the country are home to homes in different geographical areas worldwide. For households dwelling in two or more holiday homes. example, the first official census of second homes in Planning for purchasing or constructing second Spain dates back to 2001 when the share of second homes is therefore a common practice everywhere homes in Galicia was 4.96% in 6.6% of the entire across the world. About 27000 households in NI, for country. This figure in 30 years before then i.e. in example, currently own second homes, 7000 are 1970 was 2.13% (Borge, 2007:375-76). considering purchasing