Synergy Between Airports and Urban Development for Sustainable Development

There is correlation in terms of economic performance between the growth of urban settlement and the projection made by ICAO indicating that worldwide aircraft movement flight and passenger volumes are projected to double by 2030 while UN-Habitat estimates that more than half of world population will be urban by 2050. As a result, there is critical need for States to invest in infrastructure development to support the anticipated global growing demand for connectivity and mobility which will lead to airports and urban sustainable development as well as to improved connectivity among cities worldwide. Consequently, there is need to invest in development of infrastructure capable to support the growth. In this context, five airports in the cities of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) with Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Nairobi (Kenya) with Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport, and Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg (South Africa) respectively with Oliver R. Tambo International Airport and Lanseria International Airport were selected for the implementation of a pilot project. Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa have high air passenger numbers in Eastern and Southern Africa and their main cities are undergoing remarkable urban growth; as well as a rising demand for airport facilities. Studying the role of their airports in the development cycle is critical in learning the relationship between airport and urban development; and how resultant synergies can be harnessed for socio-economic growth of cities and countries around the world. This will be a crucial contribution to sustainability as required in the New Urban Agenda under the Sustainable Development Goals. Best practices and principles in sustainable urban land use and land management around aviation infrastructure are of capital importance in both airport and urban development. The current trends are leading towards the development of airport cities, Aeropolises and Megapolises worldwide. Developments at the airport and in the city should not be detrimental to each other.