They also become cities The largest and most densely populatedsought urgently Spaces that can be rehabilitatedWith an emphasis on social and environmental values.
An idea appeared that seemed perfect: Abandoned airports and airfieldsalso known as Ghost airports.. The World Economic Forum states that there are around 2,699 of them were partially or completely abandoned in the USA and some Hundreds in Europe.
For many cities, especially older ones, airports are ghosts Another extensive empty spacesWhich can be reintegrated into urban spaces.
Although they are ubiquitous, not all fake airports meet basic standards for urban development. The first feature is Proximity: If you are too far from the population center, you will not be a good candidate.
Hey The second criterion is communication: If the airport is located on the outskirts of an urban area (as many airports are) and is less accessible via public transportation, this is also a problem. Finally, there is a group of Technical considerations Case by case, to determine whether the size, Airport infrastructure and geology Suitable for urban development.
Here are the main examples of ghost airport recoveries around the world:
Lago Texcoco Ecological Park – Mexico City, Mexico
In Mexico City, the new airport was never completed and the remaining structure is being converted into an eco-park larger than the city of Paris. The enormous Lake Texcoco that dominated this valley allowed the entire ecosystem to flourish, opening the door for the construction of this park. In the future, this space will contain sports complexes and bicycle paths for approximately 8.7 million visitors annually.
Photo: Reuters
Elenikon – Athens, Greece
Ellinikon is a former ghost airport that is now developing into a new urban cluster. Located six kilometers from central Athens, Ellinikon International Airport was in operation for 63 years before being replaced by Athens International Airport in 2001.
It lay largely dormant for two decades until citizen activism and public-private collaboration began to envision new possibilities for the two million square metres. Work on this €7.74 billion project is ongoing and plans cover residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, museum, healthcare, sports and education development. Sustainability and environmental conservation initiatives are a key component of this effort: energy-efficient buildings and coastal regeneration are critical aspects of the project.
Photo: Alenicon
Kai Tak – Hong Kong
When its capacity no longer met demand, Kai Tak Airport was replaced by Hong Kong International Airport, built on reclaimed land 30 km to the west. Since the late 1990s, Kai Tak has been the focal point of public-private development efforts to create a central business district. The lack of existing vertical infrastructure – the “blank slate” advantage of virtual airports – created the space for innovative social and environmental developments.
Photo: Airport History
Berlin TXL – Berlin, Germany
The pioneering project in Europe is being built on the former Tegel Airport in Berlin, and aims to be a fully sustainable residential area, potentially becoming the largest wood-built area in the world.
Photo: Christian Sommer, Reinhardt & Sommer GBR
Read the full news about Berlin TXL here: Discover the first sustainable city born in Europe
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