Conflicts and concertations on the use of littoral spaces in Corsica

Mediterranean littoral spaces are subjected to a strong tourist pressure which underlines the issue of conciliation between growth of built-up areas, on the one hand, and safeguarding of environment and agricultural activities, on the other hand. The tensions generated by these contradictory interests are particularly sensitive in Corsica, because a large part of coastal spaces still remain preserved and strictly protected. The present research is interested on two levels of regulation of these interests: judicial regulation by the administrative courts, relating to conflicts on a district level (building projects), and on the regional level, political governance through a public consultation procedure which focuses on planning law reforms. The inquiry shows how these two levels seems to be connected : the legal strategies of local representatives can be explained by characteristics of judicial regulation.