Bridging the culture nature divide in Monaco

The reigning Princes of Monaco have planned the urban landscape of their state by integrating actions on both the culture and the environment of this ancient Mediterranean fortress, which has ensured its continued independence for the past 150 years. They have planned most of the multifunctionality of this attractive landscape through enhancement of its physical and human heterogeneity. Its continual urbanization has had to be expanded beyond its exiguous territory. It has conquered space from the sea and leased some from France but it has always sought to mitigate its negative environmental impacts, Quality of life and local diversity have not been sacrificed to its phenomenal economic growth. Some of its success maybe due to its particular governance and to what many consider its main obstacle: its minuscule size. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.