The Ocean as Ground. An Offshore Theory of Urbanisation

A persistent narrative portrays the ocean as an uninhabited space. However, centuries of commercial trade and an expanding network of infrastructures above and below the water’s surface have long challenged this view, prompting researchers to conceptualize the sea as an urbanized environment. While the sea is a global arena where architecture, ecology, infrastructure, and politics intersect, its spatial dynamics remain largely uncharted.

In a time of planetary urbanization, The Ocean as Ground explores oceans as urban spaces by unveiling forgotten histories, projects, and narratives. How might we understand land urbanization starting from the oceans? Through the conceptual lens of “ground”, the book invites readers to rethink how we perceive, design, and inhabit the spaces of both land and sea.