Why islandness matters for planning studies

In this response to Davies and Lai’s (2025) commentary ‘Is “Island Study” but a Form of Land Study?’ we advance the case for attentiveness to islandness within planning studies. Even though islands possess diverse characteristics, and it is impossible to formulate a universal definition for island or set of universal characteristics of islandness, perceptions surrounding islandness remain important for how people think about and engage with space. Because people often treat islands as distinctive spaces requiring special planning and management solutions, a sense of islandness can profoundly impact the development of human settlements.