by Anhad Viswanath, Associate ASLA
This post discusses “Reed City’s Exhilarating Thrust,” a design concept I crafted while a student at Michigan State University that illustrates the wonder and excitement that the race circuit brings. The design includes a four-mile racetrack with elevated inclines over an existing road, housing, and spaces for residents and visitors to socialize and enjoy the races. Pedestrian bridges, trail connections, and a bus transit hub create multimodal connectivity.
[Editor’s note to students with exemplary work to share: the ASLA Student Awards Call for Entries is open now! Registration is due May 3 and submissions are due May 24.]
Globally, many airports face an uncertain future, and some are at the brink of closure. In the United States, there are 20,000 functional airports (private, commercial, and military), and 1,000 more that are abandoned, on-hold, or underused. This represents both a significant issue moving forward, and also a significant opportunity for reimagining these built environments.
According to a Developments in the Built Environment article on the former Hellenikon Airport in Athens—now being developed into Ellinikon Metropolitan Park—airports, or airfields, are a type of built environment where there is a relatively low density of infrastructure and are characterized by open spaces. Airports cover large portions of land and encompass various types of facilities that can often exacerbate environmental issues for surrounding areas. This makes airports, especially abandoned airports, capable of damaging the environment and wasting land and resources.