Knowledge and the politics of land

In this special issue, the authors provide in-depth historical and contemporary studies to examine how land is known and the ways in which land management and expertise are produced, disseminated, experienced and contested. The papers analyze the production of models, frameworks, calculations, tools, and ideas that shape land use and access to resources. These empirical and conceptual insights are particularly critical today as declarations of crisis precipitate the search for new,' empty,' or unproductive' land. The themes of expertise, (in)visibility/ignorance, displacements, and crisis frame our treatment of the relationship between knowledge and the politics of land management.