Islands of design: Reshaping land, sea and space

This paper takes a critical comparative approach to the reshaping of land, sea and space that often transform islands. I show how island physicality is part of a fluid process of reshaping the environment by discussing four dynamic spheres of change: upward, downward, outward and inward. Islands are sometimes joined to a mainland or to each other as a way of enlarging terrain or increasing mobility. Joining occurs through land reclamation, the building of bridges or the excavation of tunnels, with each method representing a distinct transformation of islands and islandness. Islands are often divided for political or cultural reasons, yet they might also be physically divided or reshaped. Islands are often distinct within urbanisation processes where physical features extend an island both vertically and horizontally, including the creation of new islands. Islands are sometimes levelled, either in part or in full, which serves to erase island space. The transformation of land, sea and space accompanying the reshaping of islands often occurs through human intervention, yet some islands have undergone rapid change due to natural phenomena. This paper offers a critical study of four dynamic spheres, including cases from around the world, as a way of extending discourse within the field of Island Studies in order to highlight the shifting physicality of island space and to contribute to discussion on the dynamics of island spatial fluidity.