Multiplicities of Sandscapes and Granular Geographies

This commentary on William Jamieson’s article ‘For Granular Geography’, that illuminates the granular relations in which sand participates as it is transformed by capitalist urbanism, suggests that understanding what might constitute granular geographies requires further consideration of the multiplicities of this granular material. It considers the manifold values of sand beyond its worth as an economic resource and explores the temporalities associated with the movement and fixity of sand. It goes on to argue the need for renewed focus on the impacts of sand extraction for local communities and landscapes and for more substantive accounts of the myriad mobile choreographies of sand in processes of place-making.