Land use change and management of coastal areas: Retrospect and prospect

The main features of the contributions to this special issue on Simulating Land Use Change in Coastal Areas, are synthesized. Three key themes for coastal zone research and management are identified. These relate to the need for (1) making new analytic techniques relevant to coastal zone management, (2) communicating results to the public without inhibiting civic participation through technological over-kill and (3) designing public policy cognizant of the special conditions under which land use change operates in coastal areas.