Island Urbanism develops a strategic territorial framework for reimagining urban density and organization in the Imperial Valley desert basin, catalyzed by the region's potential lithium and renewables energies. It is situated between two settlement areas—the affluent Palm Springs area to the north and the economically disadvantaged agricultural communities to the south—while focusing on the currently underutilized east bank of the Salton Sea. This site, adjacent to critical transportation and hydrological infrastructure, serves as a testbed for urban models that balance ecological, social, and industrial activities.
Instead of perpetuating the diffuse gridded sprawl that defines much of the region, this project introduces “dense transects" or "banded oases"—dense, linear urban formations inspired by the one mile by one mile Jeffersonian grid but reoriented to align with the area’s natural morphology, topography, hydrology, and transit networks. These linear “islands” of development maximize and maintain the landscape’s inherent efficiencies, incorporating mixed programs such as residential, industrial, cultural, recreational, and agricultural spaces. By integrating urban nodes with natural systems, the design aims to create sustainable, and adaptable communities while addressing the environmental degradation of the Salton Sea.
The proposal incorporates several key assumptions: the economic viability of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies and the replenishment of the Salton Sea through seawater imports from San Diego Bay. These technologies not only promote the region's economic resurgence but also influence the materiality and morphology of the proposed urban forms. The project proposes using a byproduct of geothermal lithium extraction as a building material, linking industrial processes with architectural innovation.
At the local scale, the project emphasizes programmatic diversity and cultural preservation. Nodes such as Bombay Beach are envisioned as dense hubs of experimental urban forms, blending existing morphologies, uses, and hydrological systems with new functions. Building on the regional organizational strategy of a “spine,” the Bombay Beach “band” or transect introduces two main central axes of transportation and hydrology.
These urban and environmental elements gradually integrate different areas through strategies such as recreational spaces, wetlands, and cultural sites. The progression begins at the seafront, where the urban fabric of Bombay Beach merges with the condition of the wetlands, extends through agricultural oases, and culminates at the highest node dedicated to cultural activities, emphasizing the interplay between natural and built environments.
This project aims to respond to the region's challenges and opportunities. By territorializing future growth into transect banded oases, it seeks to balance ecological restoration, economic vitality, and community resilience, offering a model for sustainable urban futures in arid landscapes.