May, I think you have a really compelling concept here. I never would have thought that an island could be gentrified, if you can call it that. It seems like your place is very unique. I tend to think of urban areas as highly walkable and rural or more isolated places as very car dependent, but Shelter Island is an exception there. It's also interesting to think that the edge is just a coastline surrounding the entire town. Your final paper should easily be a fascinating read.