Aerotropolis is a name of a book written by John D. Kasarda and Greg Lindsay, about the future of the urban development in the age of globalization. according to its authors, the airports will become the center of the future urban development. surrounded by ring of malls and hotels, followed by a ring of residential neighborhoods, the airport will no longer be a disturbing, polluting and a noisy element, but the city's heart - the reason for its existence. the importance of the airports, as an economy driver, in the 21st century can be compared with the highways in the 20th century, the railroads in the 19th century and with the seaports in the 18th century. the authors base their theory on the fact that the new mega-airports attract numerous industries as logistics, retail, telecommunications, hotels, entertainment, business and exhibition.
i still haven't read the book, but as a big airports fan, i find this theory quite interesting. the increasing number of passengers makes more and more travelers who spend time at the airports. the airport developers on the other side, which are aware of this huge economic potential, provide more and more services to 'ease' our waiting for the next flight. some airports, especially on long distance routs (Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt), became 'Airlines hub's for connection flights and provide so many services, that it could even be fun to be stuck there for few days.
few factors however, might effect this theory: the increasing price of air fuel causes each year heavy loses for the airline companies. with no alternative fuel sources, the flying fares might raise significantly in the next future and the number of the passengers will decline.
and one more point, if you want to enjoy and walk around the city center of Aerotropolis you actually need a ticket...
