Page 22 - THESIS AEROMEDINA - MICHAEL STITT - FINAL

The importance of the airport, and the development of efficient distribu-
tion of good and services, both in terms of the relationship of the inter-
nal network of cities, and across the world, was recognised by Dr. John
D. Kasarda. (Porada, B, 2013) (Kasarda J. & Lindsay, G, 2011)

The Aerotropolis concept was first conceived in an article of the issue of
American magazine “Popular Science”, in November 1939, and devel-
oped by a New York artist Nicholas De Santis, (Saitta, D, 2012) Kasar-

da recognised and champion the notion of airport-integrated regions:
Aerotropoli’s, doing business with other global cities. (Porada, B, 2013),
(Kasarda J. & Lindsay, 2011) Kasarda recognised the advantage that
some cities would have in economic growth, with the Aerotropolis model

becoming a primary objective of many politicians and decision makers
into the 21st century. (Kasarda J. & Lindsay, 2011) Kasarda considered
the new economic and visionary thinkers of key economic and social
thinkers of the 2oth century, including Hawley, Tom Friedman, Ray-

mond Vernon, Gerhard Lenski, and Alvin Toffler. (Kasarda J. & Lind-
say, 2011, p.159-178) (Saitta, D, 2012)

Many areas of expertise are currently and rapidly innovating in the
21st century, and this includes the aircraft industry. (Kroo, I, 2007) In
2009, the Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV, successfully concluded
test flights of its flying car - the PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle).

(PAL-V.com, 2012) The PAL-V is a hybrid vehicle design – a cross be-
tween an automobile, and a helicopter. This recent innovative and suc-
cessful design represents a milestone being one of the first commercially

viable land and air vehicles. (PAL-V.com, 2012) Although at present it
is design for a single person, this technology has the potential to in-
crease to four or more persons. It will potentially having far reaching
implications on city design, conceivably almost as important as the first