Fixed links and the engagement of islandness: reviewing the impact of the Confederation Bridge

Abstract

Islands are the challenging targets of a global pursuit in the closing of gaps, their distinct geography so far having seemingly eluded and mocked both human ingenuity and terra firma. This article seeks to deconstruct the concept of the bridge as more than just a value‐free symbol of inexorable technological progress, and uses islands as the reference point to flesh out such an argument. Bridges impact on the subtle balance between the characteristic ‘local–global’ nature of an island identity; such an impact is multi‐faceted, complex and case‐specific. These ideas are applied to the specific case of the Confederation Bridge, the 14‐km structure linking Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, and which celebrated its tenth anniversary in June 2007.

Relational geography of a border island: local development and compensatory destruction on Lieyu, Taiwan

“…Completion of Kinmen Bridge will increase islanders' mobility, yet evidence from elsewhere (Baldacchino, 2007) suggests it will affect the sense of islandness and embeddedness of islanders on Lieyu as well as alter Lieyu's local identity. Development-oriented improvements to mobility and communication often reveal the values of island communities or set dividing lines within such communities (e.g., Baum, 1997;Brophy, 2017;Gillis, 2004;Grydehøj & Hayward, 2011;Raadik Cottrell, 2017;Stratford, 2008).…”

“…Increased mobility between Kinmen Island and Lieyu will decrease the extent to which Lieyu represents a border zone, thereby potentially affecting islanders' sense of place and challenging their identity. Will the result be the formation of a new peninsular (rather than island) identity (Baldacchino, 2007)? Such identity issues are fundamentally relational (Massey, 1993).…”

“…Willis and Kumar (2009) recommend that geographyoriented development studies gain greater awareness of space and scale, especially the flow of capital, population, and ideas as well as the exercise of power at various scales. With the increasing importance attached to island studies, scholars from geography and other disciplines have directed focus toward island development (Beller et al, 1990;Royle, 2001;Baldacchino, 2007). This research, however, comes with risks: Clark (2013) warns against standardised, proscriptive models of development, while Grydehøj (2017, p. 9) highlights how development-oriented island research often fails to allow "islanders themselves to set the agenda.…”

Bridges, tunnels, and ferries: connectivity, transport, and the future of Hong Kong’s outlying islands

“…Copenhagen, Venice, Rotterdam; see Knowles, 2000), North America (e.g. New York, Miami, Prince Edward Island; see Baldacchino, 2007), the Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain); and India (e.g. Mumbai, Kochi;Swaminathan, 2015).…”

“…the Confederation Bridge case on Prince Edward Island, Canada as showcased by Baldacchino (2007)). While the energy savings of land-based transport are sometimes used to justify fixed link construction, especially if mass transport modes are provided, these may not necessarily outcompete ferry operations.…”