In the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework from 2022, there are ambitious targets for spatial planning and nature restoration. To achieve these goals, we need new ways of thinking about how we manage nature. In the Commonground project, our aim is to contribute by reducing the impacts of cabin development on both society and nature.
To achieve minimal impact from cabin construction, we will work to understand why this has not yet happened and how the barriers can be overcome. Researchers in ecology, land-use planning, architecture, and social sciences will collaborate with representatives from the agricultural sector, cabin developers, local authorities, and local businesses to find the best solutions.
Nearly 50% of Norway’s population has access to at least one cabin. The areas used for cabin construction occur in a local context that often has negative consequences and impacts on communities, landscape values, and biodiversity. At the same time, cabin building changes the local economy. To develop better solutions and tools for safeguarding a diversity of values connected to cabin development, we need insight into the location of areas, how cabins are built, how to protect and restore existing nature, and what kinds of conflicts recreational use may create with other types of land use.
The project is divided into four work packages. Two case areas, Orkland and Oppdal, have been established for in-depth studies.
Work Package 1: Choosing Areas.
A GIS analysis has been conducted to identify national patterns and drivers for cabin development in 356 municipalities. The analysis shows a oversupply of land allocated for cabin construction in Norway, equivalent to a doubling of the existing number of cabins. Most of the future plot reserves are in the mountain regions of Southern Norway, with a large proportion located in vulnerable ecosystems such as wetlands and coastal habitats. This analysis provides the basis for developing criteria for selecting future cabin development areas. A survey was also sent to all mountain and outfield municipalities in Norway. Results from 65 municipalities will be presented in a Storymap. The survey focuses on the process from planning to completion, the significance of cabin construction for communities, nature, and other industries, the solutions chosen in planning and construction (including design and architecture), as well as the municipalities’ own visions and expectations for future cabin development. At the local level, a GIS analysis has been conducted for Oppdal to identify “grey areas” and other sites that may be suitable for cabin construction with low conflict potential. This analysis will form the basis for change analyses and scenario development.
Work Package 2: Tools for the Future.
Master’s theses, field visits, and seminars have been conducted to assess the current situation. Nature mapping has been conducted in case areas where cabin development is planned. Comprehensive registrations of materials, building traditions, sizes, and design were carried out for 214 cabins at the Stølen cabin area in Oppdal, as well as a smaller cabin field in Slettvika in Orkland. A survey has also been prepared on use patterns and opinions among cabin owners at Stølen, including registration of energy use and the installation of IEQ sensors in selected cabins. A PhD student has been recruited to research sustainable cabin solutions that combine architecture and environmental impacts. As part of this, a framework and concept have been developed for a design workshop to be carried out with different stakeholders linked to cabin development in the case areas. The goal is to create a platform for local collaboration as a conflict-reducing measure.
Work Package 3: Reducing conflicts.
The aim is to gain knowledge about conflicts between cabin construction and other traditional land uses. The project builds on knowledge obtained from other cabin municipalities, including Norefjell-Reinsjøfjell and Hardangervidda. A qualitative study, focusing especially on conflicts between local grazing practices and cabin development, has been partly conducted in Oppdal. This study will be key to providing advice on how conflicts can be reduced. In Orkland, where the study area is less developed and where concrete conflicts have not emerged to the same extent as in Oppdal, a qualitative study has also been initiated. Here the focus is on users’ perceptions of conflict potential and how to avoid or minimize conflicts. Preliminary results from the qualitative study are planned to be presented at various gatherings across the country in 2025 and 2026. These gatherings will provide insights into how such conflicts unfold elsewhere and how they are being addressed.
Work Package 4: Project Administration and Communication.
Introductory seminars and field visits have been organized in Orkland and Oppdal to gain an overview of the issues. A project website has also been established.
To meet ambitious targets for spatial planning and restoration in the Kumning-Montral protocol Global biodiversity framework, a reorientation of nature management is needed. Ecological sustainability needs to be incorporated in people’s everyday practices as well as in local management practices. Nearly 50% of Norway’s population has access to at least one second home (SH). The land upon which SHs are built put pressure on local nature and biodiversity, but the modern SHD trend also places pressure on the host-visitor relationships and land management systems, as well as altering local economies.
This project aims to understand the cumulative effects of SHDs on environment and society. This will be achieved by looking at nature- , climate- and social effects and introducing new ways to combine disciplines and sectors. In order to avoid piece-by-piece development of areas we need both a national overview of how SHD is done today and local knowledge for the search for better solutions. We also need to have insight in how SHs are designed and built and how ecosystems and biodiversity best can be maintained and restored in and around the development sites. Interaction between SHDs and primary industries, and between SHDs and local communities, must be considered in order to reduce negative impact and conflict.
Looking at all these facets of SHD requires an interdisciplinary approach. Commonground will include research in the fields of ecosystem restoration and ecological valuation for upgrading of ecological condition, GIS and planning to understand landscape effects, architecture for finding better ways to design SHDs, social science to assess effects on the local community and agriculture, and visitor studies to describe the use flow and develop visitor management strategies. To achieve understanding and make changes in SHD the researchers will interact and cooperate with a set of cross-sectorial stakeholders: farmers, local citizens, developers and local businesses.
