The bulk of these cities will have the classic urban elements that will remind us all of New York, London, and Los Angeles. Some portion of these new cities will have elements that can truly be called new. Newness will be found in those cities that we call the Aerotropolis - - urban developments based on airport hubs. Those key locations that mark the point of criticality, where people and goods seem to come together. This coming together is important - - just look at the volume that hooks up at certain points on the planet:
- 2.4 billion air travelers in 2010
- 3.3 billion projected air travelers in 2014
- 9.4% projected average annual growth in international passenger demand in North American, 2010-2014
- 31 million metric tons of international cargo traffic in 2010
- 38 million projected metric tons of international cargo traffic in 2014
Look to China to lead the way - - money, opportunity, and vision in the context of the Aerotroplis. Like the city of Chongqing - - a strategic Aerotropolis with a focus on laptops. A hub for the HPs and Apples of the world meeting at the one point on the planet where maybe 50% of all the laptops are manufactured. The one point where the flow of ideas and the flow of goods meet - - meet at a place of strategic vision and dreams mixed by combinations of the public, the private, the new, the green, the competitive.
Check out "Aerotropolis:The Way We'll Live Next" by Greg Linday and John Lasarda.
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