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World Practices of Aerotropolis Theory in the World

Brazil State of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte)
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Jakarta International Airport, Indonesia
Moscow Domodedovo Airport, Russia
East Economic Corridor, Thailand
Dubai World Central Aerotropolis
Team--Dr. Kasarda

Located approximately 60 km south of Dubai International Airport, a US$33-billion commitment was made to construct the world's largest airport that would serve as the center of the world's first purposely planned Aerotropolis. The airport was initially designed with six runways capable of handling 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo annually.

Work involved addressing optimal commercial land uses at Dubai World Central; improved multimodal logistics infrastructure strategies; electronic data interchange (EDI) needs to trace, track, and control cargo shipments; pathways to developing a global logistics hub at and around the new airport; and strategies to accelerate commercial real estate absorption at Dubai World Central. Special attention was given to the Dubai Logistics City, which was proposed as the initial driver of the Aerotropolis.

A follow-on project to enhance the development of the aviation sector in the Emirate included 

1) optimizing airspace management at Dubai's airports; 

2) transitioning air traffic from Dubai International Airport to the new airport beginning with air cargo; 

3) creating more seamless multimodal connectivity to realize Dubai’s full potential as cargo, trade, and tourism hub, and 

4) establishing a process for continuous improvement to ensure that infrastructure at Dubai World Central and in Dubai is the best available to most long-term needs of Dubai's aviation-dependent commercial sectors.

Dubai, the Middle East
Panama City (Panama) Airport and Panatropolis
Johannesburg International Airport
Denver Airport City and Aerotropolis
Team--Dr. Kasarda

The new Denver International Airport (DEN) opened in 1995 as the largest US public works project of the 21st century. Dr. Kasarda's project contribution began in the early part of this century when he laid out the airport city and Aerotropolis models for the DEN (Denver International Airport) Regional Partnership. These models served as the design blueprints for a number of follow-on studies and master plans for both the DEN Airport City and Denver Aerotropolis.

Dr. Kasarda then served as the principal investigator for the 1,287-acre Porteous development adjacent to the southern fence of DEN. Strategies, designs, and plans were prepared to develop this large property as a key Aerotropolis node, focusing on its potential role as an urban and logistics gateway to DEN. In addition to specifying commercial land uses, recommendations were made for better road access as well as potential rail access. Finally, options were provided for the possibility of a 'through-the-fence' PPP with DEN and the Porteous property owners that would allow cargo aircraft ramp access to the property and its logistics facilities.

Collaborating with MXD, input was provided to develop the Master Plan for Denver Airport City. Inputs were also provided that specified the types of multimodal transportation infrastructure that would leverage these functions at the airport, drawing on comparable airport city and Aerotropolis studies Dr. Kasarda had conducted worldwide.

Denver, the U.S.A.
Guangzhou Airport Industrial Park Headquarter Function Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

The project is located in the core area from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to downtow Huadu. The project covers an area of 0.33 sq.km, and it can connect with the outside expressway (Airport expressway and Daguang expressway) , and can reach downtown Guangzhou easily. The geographic advantage of this area is remarkable. 

After analyzing the industry functions of this area, AIC suggests to position this area as a commercial center. The project area is next to the airport economic zone. Based on its superior traffic conditions and construction advantages, AIC and Greenland Group proposed to develop the base into a national aviation economic demonstration zone (Preliminary). Besides, Guangzhou government is about to launch the Guangzhou Free Trade Pioneer Zone, which will drive the development of the entire airport economic zone. 

As for industry development, AIC suggests to develop this area into an aviation headquarter, an aviation information base, a cross-border trade base, and a smart residential area. AIC proposes an innovative model of 'Internet + airport economy + innovation industry base'. In the future, this area will be developed into the 'airport service innovation base' and a 'business hub for international airport economic zone", and achieves the integration of industry and city. 

The project clearly proposes the development plan that will be completed with four stages in six years, and also calculates the construction scale, provides the cost-benefit analysis of each stage. The project consultation was approved by the Committee of Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone and the Guangzhou Municipal Government.

Guangzhou,Guangdong
Chuansha City Sub-Center Functional Research and Space Planning
Team--Design&Planning Team

In accordance with the Urban Master Plan of Shanghai (2017-2035), Chuansha will become one of the four main urban areas of Shanghai. Chuansha City Sub-Center will be developed, becoming one of the nine city sub-centers of Shanghai. 

Chuansha sits between Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and downtown Shanghai, and is also the most important stop on the railway connecting PVG and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). So, leveraging the locational advantage, Chuansha should develop both airport-oriented industries and urban services. 

For industrial development, we proposed the following strategies: 1) extending and strengthening the tourist industry chain, and building distinctive leisure and recreation amenities; 2) incubating modern service industries, and building Chuansha into an international gateway area of China; 3) developing niche culture, cultivating the cultural industry cluster, and boosting cultural attractiveness of this area; 4) upgrading the public services and infrastructure to make it a diversified, open area; and 5) coordinating the development of urban and rural areas. 

Pudong, Shanghai
Shanghai Disney South Area Functional Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Shanghai Disney South Area is an important part of Shanghai International Tourist Resort adjacent to the core area of Shanghai Disneyland, and also part of Chuansha District according to the “Shanghai Urban Master Plan 2035”.

Leveraging the advantageous location, strategic upgrade of the positioning and continuous enhancement of the transportation conditions, this Area has the potential to develop leisure and cultural recreational activities serving the Disneyland and the surrounding cities, while cultivating/attracting certain aviation-oriented industries. 

Pudong, Shanghai
Qingdao Jiaozhou Airport Economic Zone Master Plan
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Qingdao Jiaozhou International Airport Economic Zone, relying on Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO) and the comprehensive transportation hub on Shandong Peninsula, will be developed into: 1) an important node in the "Belt and Road" strategic network; 2) an important drive for Qingdao "Circum- Jiaozhou Bay" metropolitan region to become a global Aerotropolis.

Based on an in-depth analysis on Qingdao's strengths and weaknesses, we defined the positioning and major functions of the Zone. The Zone is positioned to be a regional international air hub, a high-end aviation industrial base, a free trade zone, a modern, eco-friendly and smart airport city. It will gradually developed into a gateway area of the Asia-Pacific, a major advanced manufacturing base of Shandong, and a modern services base supporting the development of Qingdao Metropolitan Region and the international air hub. 

As for spatial planning, our solutions are to optimize the spatial structure, upgrade the industrial chain, build a sound ecological system, and coordinate development of the Zone and the surrounding areas.

Qingdao, Shandong
Qingdao Pingdu Airport Economic Zone Master Plan
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Qingdao Pingdu Airport Economic Zone, 15km away from the airport, is an extended area of Shandong Jiaozhou Airport Economy Zone. It's a strategy of Qingdao City for the development of airport economy. 

Different from Jiaozhou Airport Economic Zone which is adjacent to the airport, there's a certain distance between Pingdu Airport Economic Zone and the airport. Given this and other conditions, we defined its positioning as the following: aviation-related industrial clusters, a high-end light manufacturing base, a regional multi-modal logistics hub, and a new urban area for people to live and work. There will be four pivotal industrial bases, namely the manufacturing base for electronics and home appliances, the north logistics service base, the sci-tech, education and research base and the high-value modern agricultural base; as well as two support functions, namely the north comprehensive urban services area and the Dagu River Eco-cultural Tourist Area.

The greatest challenge is connectivity with the airport. To tackle this, in light of the airport economy theory, that is, the criterion of connectivity is speed, not distance, we proposed to build a southbound expressway  at the north core area. The traveling time could be greatly shortened, and accessibility of the Zone be significantly enhanced. 

Qingdao, Shandong
Xianghe General Aviation Industrial City Planning
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

We proposed the developed positioning and industrial orientation of Xianghe General Aviation Industrial City through comprehensive quantitative analysis of the regional economic, industrial and traffic conditions and regression forecast of its future industrial scale; and presented the industrial development strategy composed of aviation-related industries, aviation-oriented industries and non-aviation industries. 

In consideration of the height limit, noise influence and transportation conditions, from the east to the west around the airport, intelligent manufacturing, aviation industries, and aviation-oriented industries were allocated. Space is also reserved for the pilot community.

Langfang, Hebei
Guangzhou Airport Industrial Park Headquarter Function Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

The project is located in the core area from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to downtow Huadu. The project covers an area of 0.33 sq.km, and it can connect with the outside expressway (Airport expressway and Daguang expressway) , and can reach downtown Guangzhou easily. The geographic advantage of this area is remarkable. 

After analyzing the industry functions of this area, AIC suggests to position this area as a commercial center. The project area is next to the airport economic zone. Based on its superior traffic conditions and construction advantages, AIC and Greenland Group proposed to develop the base into a national aviation economic demonstration zone (Preliminary). Besides, Guangzhou government is about to launch the Guangzhou Free Trade Pioneer Zone, which will drive the development of the entire airport economic zone. 

As for industry development, AIC suggests to develop this area into an aviation headquarter, an aviation information base, a cross-border trade base, and a smart residential area. AIC proposes an innovative model of 'Internet + airport economy + innovation industry base'. In the future, this area will be developed into the 'airport service innovation base' and a 'business hub for international airport economic zone", and achieves the integration of industry and city. 

The project clearly proposes the development plan that will be completed with four stages in six years, and also calculates the construction scale, provides the cost-benefit analysis of each stage. The project consultation was approved by the Committee of Guangzhou Airport Economic Zone and the Guangzhou Municipal Government.

Guangzhou,Guangdong
Korla Airport Economic Zone Strategy and Industry Planning
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Korla is located in the geographical center of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is the capital of Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture (Bazhou) and an important node of the 'Silk Road Economic Belt'. Connecting with 35 cities, Korla Airport (KRL) is the third largest airport in Xinjiang.

Korla fully utilizes the construction of the airport to open up and to build a hub economy, and utilizes the emerging aviation industry to establish a passenger/cargo transport network, which will mitigate the economic disadvantage caused by inconvenient ground transportation. Korla actively establishes cooperative relationship with domestic airports and airport economy zones, which in turn promotes a joint development of the port, industry and the city, laying the foundation for the building of the Bazhou airport economy zone.

AIC proposes a customized strategic plan including roadmap, industrial layout and spatial development strategy for Bazhou airport economy zone after detailed investigation and analysis into the current situation with reference to experiences gained from field work. Moreover, an action plan is also part of the solution as a implementation guidance.

Korla, Xinjiang
Zhengzhou International High Education and Innovation Complex--Conceptual Urban Design and Regulatory Planning
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

The International Higher Education and Innovation Complex will be an open, eco-friendly, world-class, and diversified urban campus.

Embracing collaborative education/research programs with world-class universities, international academic exchanges, and high-end training, the Complex will gradually raise its global visibility and reputation to attract and retain international talents to the ZAEZ. It will be the cluster of high-tech talent training, higher education, sci-tech research and development, and recognized as the "town of knowledge" in Central China. 

Zhengzhou, Henan
Cha Gan Lake Airport City Master Plan
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

The Cha Gan Lake Airport Economy Zone, with a planning area of 134 sq.km, is an urban area developed around Songyuan Chaganhu Airport (YSQ), 20km from downtown Qianguo County.

Upon request of the local government, our master plan followed two principles: 1) rebuilding the industrial development foundation; 2) establishing fast and convenient traffic system. The goal was to facilitate industrial transformation and precise development of Qianguo County. 

We made in-depth study on mainly three respects, development conditions for the regional city cluster, industrial infrastructure and amenities, recruitment of aviation-oriented industries. We thus proposed to develop 1) a regional distribution center depending on an efficient multi-modal transportation network; 2) logistics services depending on the “China-Mongolia Corridor”; 3) featured tourism by making full use of the natural resources; and 4) holiday services and MICE targeting the surrounding cities by leveraging the unique resources, locational and transportation advantages.

Songyuan,Jilin
Wuyi Airport Economic Zone Planning
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Wuyi County is located in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, 150km from Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang. Thanks to the convenient high speed rail, it only takes 1 hour to Hangzhou and 2 hours to Shanghai from Wuyi.

In order to develop the County into a new growth pole of the region oriented by airport economy, we conducted comprehensive investigation and research on the local conditions and potential, and then presented a tailored strategic roadmap, industrial planning and conceptual urban design, in order to facilitate sustainable, efficient growth of the County and further promote development of the entire region. 

Wuyi,Zhejiang
Shanghai Pudong International Airport International Community Planning Project (Xinchang, Zhoupu)
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Shanghai is an influential international metropolis. Pudong International Airport (PVG) is an growing international air hub. Pudong New Area serves as the city’s gateway area. Xinchang Town and Zhoupu Town, located near the downtown, and along the major traffic corridor between the airport and the downtown, embrace great opportunities.

The Xinchang Project will be the local new public service and tourist center highlighting the local culture of Xinchang Town. Xinchang will be built into a comprehensive community facilitating development of emerging industries while preserving the historical and cultural relics.

The Zhoupu Project is positioned as a L.W.P (Live· Work· Play) community. The new town center will recruit high-end businesses and new-type real estates

Pudong, Shanghai
Jiaodong International Airport International Community, Qingdao
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Qingdao West Railway Marshaling Station, and the protection corridors along Jiaozhou-Jinan Railway and Lancun-Yantai Railway segmented the project area, which brought certain challenges. In the future, the Marshaling Station will be upgraded into a high-speed railway station. Leveraging this opportunities, this area could be greatly invigorated. For this project, the greatest challenge was how to minimize the impact of railways to urban development, and facilitate sustainable development of the region.

Our team, based on a thorough study of the development conditions and policies, worked out the scale, spatial structure and development orientation of the area. The whole area is positioned as a smart city, a healthcare district, a eco-friendly area for people to live, while the core area is positioned to be a cluster of ecological, healthcare and leisure services. 

Qingdao, Shandong
Shanghai Pudong International Airport T-Shaped Area Development Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Based on the positioning and the role of Pudong International Airport (PVG), we proposed that the T-shaped area outside the airport should fully leverage Shanghai’s superiorities, manifest Shanghai Culture, highlight eco-friendliness, recruit high-end services and headquarters, and gather international talents.

Based on a thorough study on the function and traffic layout, as well as the existing problems with traffic flow organization, our team proposed that this Area should be positioned as a gateway to East Asia and the comprehensive transportation hub. Through redeveloping this “golden land” near the airport, we aim to facilitate Shanghai achieving strategic upgrading. 

With regard to spatial planning, we proposed to 1) develop the east aviation industrial area, the street-community commercial in the central part, and the west headquarters in the west; 2) build a main corridor connecting the terminal with these areas; 3) create a unique “world market” with distinctive branded businesses. 


Pudong, Shanghai
Zhuhai Airport Economic Park Bailong River Waterfront District Function Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Guided by the "scientific development" concept, the aviation industrial park will become one of the most influential cutting-edge scientific and technological industrial centers in the future, and an ideal green ecological community suitable for people to live, work, study, cultural exchange and recreation.

The planning is forward-looking for future urban design. By creating new urban civilizations, attracting top scientific and technological talents and stimulating human intelligence, urban design aims to improve the independent innovation and radiation driving capacity of aviation industrial park, and at the same time to provide quality and sustainable urban and natural ecological environment, so as to make a model for China's future urbanization development.

Zhuhai,Guangdong
ZAEZ International Community's Preliminary Study
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

Under the Aerotropolis Model, a well-designed Aerotropolis should boast international amenities in order to attract and retain international talents. 

With a planning area of 3.45sq.km, the ZAEZ International Community, about 2.5km south of the airport area, is the first high-end community in the ZAEZ. 

Our team conducted an in-depth study on the local conditions and international cases, and presented a planning defining the capacity and functions of the Community, as well as control criteria on major aspects from planning, land use, transportation, to urban design. Moreover, our team provided practical management solutions from five perspectives, namely management logic, urban design elastic control, management path, preferential policies, and compliance with the regulatory plan. 

The ZAEZ now should consider seriously how to provide better services to talents so as to retain them. The International Community can provide high-level housing and services to the experts. 

Zhengzhou, Henan
ZAEZ Yuanhang Road Eco-Parking Project
Team--AIC (Shanghai) Urban Planning & Design Company

This 18-hectare parking area (4000m* 50m) mainly is near the Foxconn Complex. 

To make efficient use of the space, our plan integrate ground, underground parking and mechanical parking system; consists of small and large parking spaces, non-motor parking as well as charging piles. We also highlight greening and landscaping. Our goal is to meet the parking requirements of Foxconn staff and the residents nearby, while beautifying the surrounding environment. This project will be a replicable model for future eco-parking construction in the ZAEZ.

Zhenghzou, Henan
Hyderabad Airport City and Aerotropolis
Team--Dr. Kasarda

The new Hyderabad International Airport was opened in 2008 as India’s first greenfield public-private partnership (PPP) airport. Dr. Kasarda was hired by the GMR Group to assist them in transforming the 2,200-hectare airport site into an airport city and extended Aerotropolis. A strategic plan was developed, offering a modular design of airport logistics, commercial, commercial, and industrial facilities that would respond in an incremental manner to growing passenger and cargo volumes and other economic opportunities.

The plan organized the airport into three zones: Zone West, Zone Core, and Zone East. The Core Zone was designed to house two passenger terminals with multimodal transport connecting also the GMR corporate offices. An additional 50 hectares was designated for retail, leisure, and entertainment facilities.

The strategic plan treated the airport as the multimodal central city of an extended Aerotropolis called the Hyderabad Airport Development Administrative Area. The strategic plan specified the features of this extended Aerotropolis, which has a substantial high-tech orientation. In addition to proposing efficient highway connectivity to optimize accessibility in the airport city and Aerotropolis, passenger rail links were recommended.

India, South Asia
Brazil State of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte)
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Jakarta International Airport, Indonesia
Moscow Domodedovo Airport, Russia
East Economic Corridor, Thailand
Dubai World Central Aerotropolis
Team--Dr. Kasarda

Located approximately 60 km south of Dubai International Airport, a US$33-billion commitment was made to construct the world's largest airport that would serve as the center of the world's first purposely planned Aerotropolis. The airport was initially designed with six runways capable of handling 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo annually.

Work involved addressing optimal commercial land uses at Dubai World Central; improved multimodal logistics infrastructure strategies; electronic data interchange (EDI) needs to trace, track, and control cargo shipments; pathways to developing a global logistics hub at and around the new airport; and strategies to accelerate commercial real estate absorption at Dubai World Central. Special attention was given to the Dubai Logistics City, which was proposed as the initial driver of the Aerotropolis.

A follow-on project to enhance the development of the aviation sector in the Emirate included 

1) optimizing airspace management at Dubai's airports; 

2) transitioning air traffic from Dubai International Airport to the new airport beginning with air cargo; 

3) creating more seamless multimodal connectivity to realize Dubai’s full potential as cargo, trade, and tourism hub, and 

4) establishing a process for continuous improvement to ensure that infrastructure at Dubai World Central and in Dubai is the best available to most long-term needs of Dubai's aviation-dependent commercial sectors.

Dubai, the Middle East
Panama City (Panama) Airport and Panatropolis
Johannesburg International Airport
Memphis Aerotropolis Strategic Planning
Team--Dr. Kasarda

Memphis International Airport is the global hub of FedEx. Dr. Kasarda was retained by the Memphis Region Chamber of Commerce and Memphis International Airport to develop the vision and initial plans for the Memphis Aerotropolis. This project involved transitioning the planning process from traditional airport and urban planning to that required to develop an economically efficient, functionally integrated, and sustainable Aerotropolis at and outward from Memphis International Airport.

Surface transportation infrastructure improvements were proposed based on identifying gaps and chokepoints in the immediate airport area and improving ground connectivity. In addition to facilitating cargo movements throughout the Aerotropolis, strategies were recommended to better link the airport to Memphis downtown, Class-A office clusters in the suburbs, major Memphis tourist centers, and medical/ bioscience clusters, including the rapidly growing medical devices sector.

The plan further offered strategies to upgrade the appearance of areas around the airport that had deteriorated in the prior two decades. Incentives to attract businesses to the airport area were assessed with recommendations for making them more appealing to investors. Finally, a series of marketing and branding strategies were provided, including promoting Memphis as 'America's Aerotropolis'.

Memphis, the U.S.A.
Denver Airport City and Aerotropolis
Team--Dr. Kasarda

The new Denver International Airport (DEN) opened in 1995 as the largest US public works project of the 21st century. Dr. Kasarda's project contribution began in the early part of this century when he laid out the airport city and Aerotropolis models for the DEN (Denver International Airport) Regional Partnership. These models served as the design blueprints for a number of follow-on studies and master plans for both the DEN Airport City and Denver Aerotropolis.

Dr. Kasarda then served as the principal investigator for the 1,287-acre Porteous development adjacent to the southern fence of DEN. Strategies, designs, and plans were prepared to develop this large property as a key Aerotropolis node, focusing on its potential role as an urban and logistics gateway to DEN. In addition to specifying commercial land uses, recommendations were made for better road access as well as potential rail access. Finally, options were provided for the possibility of a 'through-the-fence' PPP with DEN and the Porteous property owners that would allow cargo aircraft ramp access to the property and its logistics facilities.

Collaborating with MXD, input was provided to develop the Master Plan for Denver Airport City. Inputs were also provided that specified the types of multimodal transportation infrastructure that would leverage these functions at the airport, drawing on comparable airport city and Aerotropolis studies Dr. Kasarda had conducted worldwide.

Denver, the U.S.A.