Walkable vs. Unwalkable Airports

I’ve read some airport-related planning literature about the interiors of airports and about their public transit connections. (For a good example of the latter, see http://www.planetizen.com/node/34842 ) But one other difference between airports relates to their exteriors: the difference between walkable airports and not-so-walkable airports.

2 minute read

June 2, 2009, 9:46 AM PDT

By Michael Lewyn @mlewyn


I've read some airport-related planning literature about the interiors of airports and about their public transit connections. (For a good example of the latter, see http://www.planetizen.com/node/34842 ) But one other difference between airports relates to their exteriors: the difference between walkable airports and not-so-walkable airports.

Many airports resemble that of Jacksonville, Florida (where I lived until a week ago). The airport is 15 miles or so from downtown Jacksonville, and is along a long stretch of vacant, undeveloped land. If you were to walk outside the airport, you would be utterly disoriented: you wouldn't know whether you were in a big city or a small town. So as a practical matter, the only sane way to exit the airport is by car or bus.

By contrast, a few nights ago I arrived at the airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. As soon as I left the airport terminal, I could actually see the towers of downtown Little Rock. More usefully still, I could see the hotel I was staying at, and (after a minute of false starts) was actually able to walk to it. The airport was hardly in an urban environment: I walked on grass instead of on a sidewalk. Even so, I felt like I was near a city, rather than in the middle of nowhere.

Better still is Providence's airport, where a decade ago I was able to walk from the airport to a thriving inner suburban neighborhood. I went on walkscore.com and was not surprised by the results: the Walkscore of Jacksonville's airport address was 15 (primarily due to on-premises shopping), the Walkscore of Little Rock's airport was 22, and the Walkscore of Providence's a stunning 65.

Of course, an airport cannot be as walkable as, say, a bus or train station: often, an airport needs to have spare land so it can expand in the future. Nevertheless, an airport that is near other visible amenities, like a train station near such amenities, is inherently a more pleasurable one.


Michael Lewyn

Michael Lewyn is a professor at Touro University, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, in Long Island. His scholarship can be found at http://works.bepress.com/lewyn.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight