engleski

The spatial distribution of second homes and traffic accessibility in an insular area – example of the Croatian Islands

Insular areas in many parts of Europe and around the world (e.g., Croatian Islands, Greek Islands, Balearic Islands, islands in Sweden, Norway, etc.) have become attractive places for owning second homes, particularly in the last fifty years. Their appeal lies in the combination of insular area attractiveness, as well as providing sense of peace and isolation as desirable oppositions to everyday stress and busy lifestyles in big cities. However, in addition to the attraction basis of the insular area and conditions on the real-estate market, as an important factor for the decision about second home location stands out traffic accessibility and connections with the island, which often influences the manner and frequency of their usage. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are examples of some objectively less attractive, but more accessible islands, due to the traffic connections, where number of second homes is significantly higher than in those attractive one with less frequent traffic links. The main objective of this research is to identify interdependence of Croatian Islands’ traffic accessibility and spatial distribution of second homes, as well as with the proportion of second homes in total housing fund, according to Croatian Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. For the purpose of this research, Croatian Islands were divided into groups according to three criteria: a) regional affiliation (Kvarner Islands, North Dalmatian, Middle Dalmatian and South Dalmatian Islands), b) location of the island vis-à-vis mainland (coastal, channel and open sea islands) and c) levels of traffic accessibility (islands connected by the bridge, islands with frequent ferries throughout the year, islands with seasonal frequent ferries, islands with less frequent ferries, islands with shipping lines, i.e. islands without road traffic). Data were analysed using Chi-square test, T-test, ANOVA and regression analysis. Preliminary results on the case of the Croatian Islands indicate the crucial importance of traffic accessibility both in spatial distribution of second homes, as well as in their ratio in the total housing fund. This supports the thesis that the possibility for frequent usage is of great importance to the motivation for the acquisition of the second homes on the Croatian Islands, as it has been confirmed by previous studies of motivational factors in choosing the location for the second homes on the Croatian coast and islands.

second homes; second home phenomenon; traffic accessibility; insular area; Croatian Islands

Sudjelovanje na skupu financirano je iz potpore istraživanjima Sveučilišta u Zagrebu za 2013. i 2014. godinu "Identifikacija i demogeografska analiza marginalnih područja Hrvatske", voditelja izv. prof. dr. sc. Aleksandra Toskića.