Coastal Commons Initiative

The background to the research and development project is that the coastal communities in the Baltic Sea region are increasingly affected by gentrification and seasonal tourism pressure. The increasing demand for short-term rentals and holiday homes is driving up housing costs, making it difficult for long-term residents, essential workers and small businesses to stay. Many homes sit empty for large parts of the year, while local economies become overly dependent on short, high-intensity tourist seasons, creating instability and limiting sustainable growth. Municipalities often lack effective tools to balance tourism, housing affordability and long-term economic resilience.

At the same time, these communities have significant potential for sustainable development if tourism and housing policies are managed in an inclusive manner. The challenge is to ensure that local people benefit from economic opportunities rather than being displaced by them. Kiviks Museum has extensive experience in international research and development withculture as a driving force for sustainable development.

The Coastal Commons Initiative (CCI) is a research and development project funded by the Swedish Institute with the aim of developing and establishing a transnational strategy and a cooperation platform for municipalities, regions, researchers, companies and civil society in the Baltic Sea region. Transnational cooperation is important to:

– Exchange knowledge and best practices to manage gentrification while supporting local economic stability.

- Develop policy recommendations to regulate short-term rentals and ensure access to affordable housing.

- Create pilot projects with alternative tourism and economic models that support year-round income for local communities.

- Strengthen local economies by enabling businesses and residents to retain more value from tourism.

- Equip municipalities with practical tools to balance tourism growth, housing affordability and economic sustainability.

- Collaborate on policy solutions that protect local livelihoods while supporting sustainable coastal development.

- Strengthen communities with practical tools and proven solutions that have been refined in similar regional contexts.

- Promote cross-border partnerships that enable joint research, pilot initiatives and capacity-building efforts.

- Local authorities often lack the capacity and resources to tackle these complex problems on their own.

The goal is to identify and create solutions to these shared challenges of coastal gentrification and to transform the Cultural and Creative Community (CCI) into a collaborative platform for long-term resilience that ensures Baltic Sea coastal communities remain affordable, economically viable and sustainable for generations to come.

Project period:

1/9-2025-28/2-2027

The project's partnership:

Foundation Kiviks Museum & Archive – Project leader (SE)

Kihnu Living Heritage – Project partner 1 (EE)

Suiti Cultural Heritage – Project partner 2 (LV)

Palanga Tourism Information Center – Project partner 3 (LT)

Tornedalen Museum – Project partner 4 (FI)

Administrative District Rügen-Vorpommern – Project partner 5 (DE)