A New City Prototype?: Songdo International City as an Airport City

Abstract

The increasing volume of air travel and freight has led scholars to ponder the possibility of an aerotropolis, or airport city. Proponents of the aerotropolis argue that future cities will develop around airports, just as contemporary cities are organized around other means of transport such as train stations. However, critics do not agree with such a futuristic vision. Despite ongoing debates regarding the aerotropolis model, the increasing importance of airport-related infrastructures is illustrated by the recent enlargements of airports. This article considers the case of South Korea's Songdo International City in order to discuss the architectural aesthetics of the airport city generally. The author first traces accounts of both real and imagined airport cities in architectural and planning literature. She then proceeds to analyze the case study site as an example of the role of architecture in shaping public space. While most discussions of the airport city idea seem to suggest the existence of boundless opportunities, the task of balancing the development needs for urban infrastructure and for housing has eluded the current governance system based on the private-public partnership. Further discussions are needed on how to balance mobile and place-based activities so as to make airport cities livable.