Airports: Where the Jobs Are

As our Richard Florida pointed out in a series of posts last spring, airports play a "substantial role" in the economic growth of American cities. Their ability to facilitate the movement of goods and people may influence urban development as much as highways, railroads, and seaports did in previous centuries. They may also rival nearby central cities as anchors of employment, according to new research.

This insight comes courtesy of John Kasarda, co-author of the 2011 book Aerotropolis, and his University of North Carolina colleague Stephen Appold, in a recent issue of Urban Studies. Appold and Kasarda analyzed employment patterns around the 25 largest passenger airports in the United States. They report "substantial" job concentration within 2.5 miles of these airports — about half that found within 2.5 miles of corresponding central business districts.