Multi-local Living and Cultural Ecosystem Services

Abstract This chapter examines multi-local living (MLL) as a form of rural-urban interaction. The development of MLL is described in Austria and Finland where MLL and second homes in rural areas are common phenomena, but from different cultural backgrounds and for somewhat historically different reasons. In both countries, MLL is connected to cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, the dominant types of CES and the types of activities differ, as they build on diverging ecological foundations. The recent effects of COVID-19 on multi-locality are also discussed in both countries. The pandemic emerged as a new driver of MLL but also as a challenge linked to social and spatial justice aspects, raising questions about who are the beneficiaries of CES.