Scales of Airport Expansion: Globalization, Regionalization, and Local Land Use

Abstract

This study examines two main issues surrounding the increasing demand for airport capacity: the effects of globalization and transportation on each other as expressed through local land use, and the politics of scale in struggles over airport expansion. The study centers around three case studies to illustrate how globalization, air transportation, and local land use are connected at the municipal, metropolitan, and regional levels. Each case study investigates a specific issue. The Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) case investigates the geographical distribution of economic impacts of the airport. The Chicago (ORD) case documents the changing land uses over time around O'Hare, as well as a detailed investigation of the current land use controversy in the vicinity of an expanding airport. The Boston (BOS) case study examines the regionally-based solution to airport demand, specifically the attempts to encourage passengers to use smaller regional airports in the area instead of the crowded Logan Airport in Boston.