The Promise and Challenge of Brownfield Aerotropolises

Successful airport city/aerotropolis developments need to satisfy both spatial and social requirements. Developer-led efforts often satisfy neither. This paper suggests that that in many cases brownfields provide more fertile ground than greenfields for planned aerotropolis developments. This is the promise of brownfield aerotropolis development. The paper further suggests that the absence of a coherent key target group is often a key factor in diminishing planned airport city/aerotropolis growth. This is the challenge of all aerotropolis development. Because the absence of such a group can be a hindrance, the extent to which concerted common action can create such a coherent target group is explored. Insights are gathered from an exploration of two contrasting but successful brownfield redevelopments and from redevelopment efforts in the Atlanta airport area