Development is an ever-escalating set of needs and goals. For the rural poor of Indonesia, the transformation of urban centres and the exposure to mass media have brought the artifices of the developed world closer than ever. Despite this proximity, without access to alternative employment opportunities, rural people still have to rely on the resources of their landscapes as the means to achieve their development aspirations. To access the full potential of the resources and opportunities in their land and seascapes, rural people must not only compete against each other, but with the corporate sector and navigate the constraints imposed by the government. In this complex environment, how do rural people make choices about development, and what are the social and ecological impacts of these decisions? In order to understand these questions, the proposed research will work in three coastal villages in Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Looking at the individual, household and landscape levels, the thesis will ask: what are rural people’s development aspirations and goals, how do they formulate strategies to pursue them and how does this impact on the natural environment? Through access mapping of the most profitable resource of each landscape, the thesis will explore how institutions and social processes at multiple levels constrain people’s abilities to pursue their aspirations.