Browsing by Author "Grönholm, Nestori"

Second-home tourism or leisure living is an individually and societally significant form of activity in Finland. Approximately every other Finn regularly uses leisure-oriented second homes, causing considerable mobility and temporal variation in regional populations. Combined with permanent dwelling, leisure living is a multi-local living arrangement where the forms of housing interact. While individual factors associated with housing are generally well-understood, the role of permanent residence and especially the living environment in the background of second home tourism and related individual decision-making remains a less-explored phenomenon. This thesis examines the significance of permanent residential environment in relation to leisure living in Finland. Second home tourism is approached as a form of multi-local living and factors influencing it are studied mostly from the perspective of individual decision-making. The thesis seeks to answer whether the characteristics of permanent residential environment explain the amount of leisure living in Finland. This question is addressed by statistically analyzing the connection of the living environment and other factors with the individual's time spent in leisure homes. Additionally, the thesis considers how the characteristics of residential environment can be measured and addressed in general. The thesis is a part of DeCarbon Home research project and utilizes a survey (n=1446) conducted in spring 2022 as its primary data, supplemented by geospatial data representing the residential environments. After preliminary examinations, the final multivariate model tested the statistical relationship of a total of 18 explanatory variables to the number of nights an individual spent in leisure homes. Explanatory variables included four variables describing the residential environment, ownership of leisure home, as well as a comprehensive set of factors related to housing, demographics, and socio-economic status. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was employed as the modeling method due to the overdispersion and zero-inflation of the response variable. The results indicate that the perceived general type of the permanent residential environment and more local building density are associated with leisure living in Finland. Living in a denser and more urban environment is linked to a greater amount of time spent in leisure homes. Other significant predictors include owning a second home, higher age, and an appreciation for the tranquility of the living environment. The results support previous observations regarding the connection between urbanity and density with forms of recreation that complement or compensate for deficiencies in the permanent residential environment. However, the naturalness of the residential environment does not explain the amount of leisure living. Individual preferences and choices as well as limiting factors related to housing makes it difficult to empirically demonstrate the real impact of residential environment on individual actions. The thesis does not establish a direct causal relationship between the characteristics of a permanent residential environment and leisure living. Still, the residential environment is stated to have a prominent role in the multi-local living arrangements. Experiential knowledge regarding residential environment is found essential alongside more objective indicators. The thesis highlights the importance of viewing housing as a whole, where areas and forms of living are interconnected. Land use planning should consider the connection between permanent residential environment and leisure living and its comprehensive consequences for individual well-being and different regional structures.