Aerotropolis formation and evolution: insights from new economic geography

In current academic and commercial literature, the concept of aerotropolis refers to the area surrounding an airport that has been promoted in an effort to revitalise the urban area. However, this development has not attracted enough interest from urban planners and developers. This paper identifies the formation law and evolution mode of aerotropolis by applying the 'footloose entrepreneur' (FE) model of new economic geography. The FE model can be applied to the following: space-convergence of the airport as the cornerstone of the aerotropolis, while the path-dependence of an airport is the foundation of the aerotropolis. In addition, a '3A' formation model of aerotropolis is examined: the self-organising evolutionary feature of the aerotropolis, the endogenous and exogenous variables of aerotropolis' evolution and the two types of dynamic mechanism for aerotropolis are all discussed. Conclusions are applied to the concept of aerotropolis development in an effort to strengthen its place in the urban environment.