Conflicting and competing claims over the actual and imagined use of land and seascapes are exacerbated on islands with high population density. The management of culture and heritage is particularly tested in island environments where space is finite and the population struggles to preserve cultural and natural assets in the face of the demands of the construction industry, immigration, high tourism and capital investment. Drawn from extreme island scenarios, the ten case studies in this volume review practices and policies for effective heritage management and offer rich descriptive and analytic material about land-use conflict. In addition, they point to interesting, new directions in which research, public policy and heritage management intersect.

The book is highly topical. It brings into sharp focus one of the pressing problems of our times: the growing tension between finite land/space, especially on islands, and the mounting pressure generated by increasing population growth, tourism, and global warming.A" * Jeremy Boissevain, University of Amsterdam Mainly focusing on island development, policy and environmental issues,the contributors of this volume offer fresh perspectives which take into account 21st century challenges such as climate change, population transformations and daily livelihood - it offers a broad and updated account of critical issues concerning 21st century heritage management.A" * Maria Kousis, University of Crete

Godfrey Baldacchino is Canada Research Chair (Island Studies) at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada; visiting professor of sociology at the University of Malta; and the Executive Editor of Island Studies Journal.