Islands are neither homogenous nor uniform. They are plural and diverse microcosms of the wider societies and relational networks within which they are situated. Small islands may be comparatively less accessible in physical terms but tend to have a strong presence in the popular imagination, often because of their perceived remoteness and status as ‘places apart’.

Neighbouring islands within an archipelago are often found to have distinct characters, reflecting locally-specific social, cultural and environmental dynamics. Islands are thus both ordinary and extraordinary places (see Robinson 2006). As a consequence of their distinctive island particularity, islands tend to face specific sets of governance challenges but can also become loci for innovation and transformative change. Many challenges faced by small islands related to accessibility, seasonality, infrastructure and service provision are shared by mainland rural communities but are placed in sharper focus and can have more significant and long-lasting implications within an island context. The location of islands at theboundary of the terrestrial and maritime further presents a challenge to sectorally organised governance systems. It is increasingly evident that local, place-specific solutions are required, which require a degree of flexibility within the scope of established institutional arrangements. We distinguish between two dimensions of place-based governance - place identity (fluid, contested and subject to reconfiguration) and strategic positioning, whereby governance actors try to position or frame their island within a wider geographical context as a response to governance challenges. We examine current approaches to addressing island particularity in national and regional policy, and opportunities for developing innovative place-based approaches. We draw on exploratory comparative case studies of small North Sea islands in Germany (Hallig islands, Schleswig-Holstein), the Netherlands (Schiermonnikoog) and Sweden (Koster islands), focussing specifically on the scope for place-based governance and strategic positioning within the specific contexts of each national system of public administration.