[Choi Jun-young's Urban Pilgrimage] Cities and Airports

Airport Symbolizing Urban Development, Recognized as a Driving Force for Change
Sokcho and Gangneung Airports, Once Thriving, Forgotten Due to Expressway Opening and KTX Introduction
Absolute Spatial Role on Islands... Continuous Expansion of Jeju Airport
Also Attracting Attention as Large-Scale Land Supply Sites, Need to Reflect on the Meaning of Airports in Cities

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Controversy continues over the construction of the new airport on Gadeokdo Island in Busan. Debates regarding the necessity and feasibility of a new airport representing the southeastern region, as well as the suitability of the location that requires land reclamation from the sea, were temporarily settled with the enactment of the Gadeokdo New Airport Special Act. However, it is expected that a significant amount of time will be needed for construction and operation in the future.

Airports are preferred because they symbolize urban development and serve as a driving force for urban transformation. However, since enormous financial resources are required for construction and operation, discussions surrounding airports are always intense and prolonged.

One of the urban spaces severely impacted by COVID-19 is airports. Most airports, once bustling with overflowing passengers, are now experiencing a period of silence. Due to their nature as spaces for aircraft takeoff and landing, airports offer wide-open views. On the other hand, airports also flatten the space. This is because not only airport facilities including runways but also surrounding areas are subject to strict altitude restrictions along flight paths.

The reason Seoul’s Magok district was developed with mid-rise buildings of uniform height is due to the nearby Gimpo Airport. Similarly, Pangyo, which could have had many more houses if developed at high density, looks as it does now because of the nearby Seoul Airport.

Cities also influence airport operations. Many airports near urban areas impose operating hour restrictions due to noise generated during aircraft takeoff and landing. Airports located in or near city centers are convenient to use but have usage limitations. Conversely, airports farther from cities operate more conveniently but cause inconvenience and economic inefficiency in terms of user convenience.

To solve these problems, railroads and highways are constructed, which add to the total project cost and further reduce the airport’s economic feasibility. When noise conflicts intensify, airports are relocated or new airports are built. Even if residential areas are developed after the airport, the airport usually ends up being pushed out.

However, as seen in the cases of Daegu Airport and Suwon Airfield, finding alternative locations is not easy. Even after a difficult relocation, people often do not move along with the airport but change their transportation modes, leaving the airport empty.

When thinking of airports, the image of cutting-edge technology naturally comes to mind. However, airports are widely used not only in developed countries but also in underdeveloped nations. Unlike roads and railways, which require construction and continuous maintenance along the entire route from start to end, air transportation only requires airports at the departure and destination points.

As urban economies grow and people’s mobility expands, airport passenger numbers begin to increase. However, beyond a certain point, passengers often switch to other transportation modes. Airports such as Sokcho, Gangneung, and Yecheon flourished until before the 2000s but have since become forgotten due to the opening and expansion of highways. In particular, the KTX, which opened in 2004, greatly impacted many airports and changed urban spatial structures.

On islands like Jeju, airports play an absolute spatial role. As the route between Gimpo and Jeju became the busiest air route in the world, Jeju City and Jeju Island began to change rapidly. To accommodate the influx of people, Jeju Airport has undergone continuous expansion projects. The area around Jeju Airport has transformed with rental car companies catering to tourists. Many parts of Jeju Island have experienced cycles of prosperity and decline following the flow of tourists arriving at and departing from the airport.

Airports, which require vast land, attract attention as land supply sites whenever large-scale land demand arises. In the mid-2000s, when housing prices surged sharply, especially in Gangnam and Bundang, proposals emerged to develop Seoul Airport located in Seongnam as residential land, sparking heated debates for a while.

Seoul Airport, connected northward to Gangnam and southward to Bundang and Pangyo, covers an area of 1.2 million pyeong (approximately 4 million square meters) by itself and up to 5 million pyeong including surrounding areas. It had the potential to develop an excellent residential complex in terms of location and transportation. However, considering security and strategic value, it was concluded that development was impossible.

Recently, proposals have also emerged to develop Gimpo Airport to supply housing in Seoul. It was suggested that developing Gimpo Airport and its surrounding area, which covers about 9 million pyeong, could provide housing for 200,000 households.

There are several cases of airports being redeveloped into residential areas. Domestically, Busan’s Suyeong Airport, which operated until 1996, transformed into Centum City, revolutionizing Busan’s urban spatial structure. Internationally, Austria developed Aspern Airport on the outskirts of Vienna into a residential area housing over 10,000 households to alleviate housing shortages. In Germany, with the opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the existing Tegel Airport is also expected to be converted into a residential complex in the future.

Airports have significance on their own but play a greater role in relation to surrounding cities. It is necessary to consider how to handle airports, which are both opportunities and constraints for urban development, within the spatial structure of cities and regions. With the emergence of new air transportation modes such as drones and personal flying vehicles approaching, this year calls for reflection on what role urban airports should play.

Choi Jun-young, Specialist, Law Firm Yulchon