Second homes in the mountains and local public responses

The thesis – Les résidences secondaires et l’action publique au défi du maintien de la vie locale à l’année dans les communes-supports de stations. Approche géographique des empreintes habitantes dans les espaces alpins à forte intensité touristique saisonnière en France, Suisse, Italie, Autriche et Slovénie – is based on a multiple-case study of territories with strong tourist appeal in the Alpine arc.

Alpine tourist areas are facing ever-increasing demand for second homes, which could accelerate with the effects of the health crisis and climate change.

The various measures taken by local authorities in terms of territorial planning, urban planning and land tools, and taxation, do not fully regulate the pressure of the second-home market.

This is to the detriment of access to permanent accommodation, of economical land management, but also of the performance of the tourist economy when accommodation is under-occupied: a phenomenon known as “cold beds”.

In addition, geographers are identifying trends in multi-residentiality, which we aim to better understand by means of proprietary surveys and statistical observations on a study of multiple cases in the Alpine arc. At the same time, territorial causalities and local public actions are analyzed using multi-thematic indicators (documentary study, local data, stakeholder interviews) to gain a better understanding of the public interventions and legislative frameworks that have succeeded in promoting permanent living in Alpine tourist destinations.