Something to back up the points made below about the Houston Airport System.
- Click here for the article.
- Click here for the article.
Just as in the past shipping, railway and then highway systems have played vital roles in determining a city's economic power, global air transportation systems will do so in the future for cities, regions and countries. Rome's Caesar had it relatively easy. When a new road was needed, he commanded it to be built. Modern leaders do not have that luxury. To become an international hub, a city must first have sufficient demand for air travel, the right geographic location and a highly developed infrastructure to handle passengers and freight. Yet having all three in place does not guarantee success.
Today, local or even national aviation policy decisions can make or break a city's vision of becoming an international hub, and good policy- making is not easy. It is a complex process requiring insight into more than local political, socioeconomic and environmental issues - often the overriding concerns of policy-makers. Sound policy also requires extensive understanding of global marketplace dynamics, the economics of airline operations and the long-term impact of policy decisions on local business and industry and consumer behavior - factors more complicated than policy-makers may think.
2305 and 2306 students ought to think about this in terms of federalism and the public policy process.
