Contents About Us
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 Contents The Automated London Exchange: Introduction 5 Current Scenario 6 Trends and Pressures 8 The Current Proposals 11 Our Strategy 13 Rethinking the Airport 17 Existing Automated Technology 19 10 Benefits for london 21 Conclusion 23 about us Raphael is an Intern at Arup Foresight + Research + Innovation. Having graduated from the Architectural Association, he has always explored pertinent issues within his projects affecting our cities today including transport, housing and declining high streets offering creative solutions and ideas from new angles combining extensive background research and unconventional and innovative design development. Graduating from the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Sandra joined Fletcher Priest Architects as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant where exposure to projects of varying scales and demographics has inspired her to rethink the logistics of vast cities like London, particularly in conjunction with its transportation systems that have historically existed as drivers of urban development and expansion. 2 3 Stansted Airport Luton Airport The Automated London Exchange Southend Airport Arrivals/Departures The Automated London Exchange is a new airport concept that optimises existing Portals terminals and runways. It connects all airports with each other and the city providing flexible options for future required expansion and changes in demand, addressing City Airport the south east airports capacity debate as well as offering further opportunities for regeneration and development in the city. Heathrow Airport Airports today may serve a city but are isolated from urban centres, partly due to the vast land required for terminals, services and runways. It is time to think of airports as part of the city, integrated into the urban fabric whilst maintaining a healthy and beautiful urban environment. An Airport’s many functions and procedures should not be limited to the one site. We propose to combine existing advanced technology for automated personal transportation such as Pods running underground combined with automated baggage systems. A project of this nature creates opportunities to regenerate numerous disused or underdeveloped sites around London which can operate as arrival and departure points or ‘portals’. The proposed connectivity between airports (the A.L.E. system) gives London the status of a super Gatwick Airport hub by connecting its seven runways across all six airports and providing flexibility for future runway developments with numerous viable and less expensive options currently unavailable. Compared to the proposed further runways at Heathrow and Gatwick, the ALE allows new runways to be built in less impactful areas connected to the system and reduce the number of people being displaced as well as helping secure London’s strategy for cleaner air and reduced pollution. Connecting London’s Airports Creating Arrivals/Departures Portals Transforming London into a mega-hub 4 5 at heathrow: 1 plane lands every The current scenario Heathrow 98% 45 seconds London is a highly successful global city attracting both investment and people. As a result, there are numerous pressures being placed on the city which include insufficient aviation capacity capacity, housing shortages, overburdened transport infrastructure and poor air quality. gatwick is the world’s busiest single runway airport London’s population is at its highest in history and is due to hit 10 million people by 2025. In order to cope with the population surge, strategic innovation is key as well as radical and no2 unconventional approaches to problem solving. no2 London is facing an aviation capacity crisis, its principal airports are oversaturated with limited and costly Heathrow is the 5,500 airPlanes options for expansion. Heathrow is Britain’s principal airport, operating at almost full capacity with an london’s airports handles 146 Fly over south east aircraft landing and taking off every 45 seconds, whilst Gatwick is the busiest single runway airport in the 2nd hotspot world - this situation is unsustainable, resulting in significant impacts on the economy, population, comfort million passengers every year for NO2 in London england every day and quality of the built urban environment. There are Six airports serving the city and region around London, a catchment area of around 8.8 million people. These airports, however, do not operate as a hub and instead have fully isolated management and operations strategies. Other cities around the world have opted to build large airport hubs as a ‘central nervous system’ for airline operation and establishing global connectivity. Examples include, neighbouring european hubs in Amsterdam Schipol, Paris Charles de Gaule and Frankfurt as well as global mega hubs such as Dubai International, Atlanta, Beijing Capital and Istanbul. Unlike these major world cities, London does not have the ability to freely expand into unused or underdeveloped land and build numerous new runways. Most of London’s air traffic arrives into Heathrow which has symbolically become a passenger aviation hub for London and the UK, nevertheless if it is to compete with the ever increasing global airport hubs, it would need more than just one extra runway. On the other hand, there are a few London airports have still not reached their capacity such as Stansted, Luton and Southend with opportunities for low impact expansion, strengthening local regions economically as well as securing better transport links to the city. The issues surrounding airport capacity go beyond the mere construction of runways and tap into issues including air quality, housing, connectivity, accessibility, and affordability. The proposed solutions, therefore, need to be integrated, holistic and strategic in their approach, combining, for example, airport expansion, building of homes, reducing airport ‘noise envelopes’ and strengthening regions and local areas economically. 6 7 Trends and pressures There are numerous trends and pressures being placed on London as a result of global and local trends with a series of implications for the future of the City: population growth urban regeneration London is currently going through a population boom Cities around the world often contain numerous with over 8.6 million people, the highest it has ever been. opportunity areas where new neighborhoods can emerge This number is expected to reach 10 million by 2025. As from regions of urban decay. These are often abandoned a result, pressure on transport systems and housing has industrial regions and ports. London has successfully been steadily increasing year by year. New projects and regenerated numerous abandoned areas as a result of strategies in London must respond to these changes new infrastructure projects such as High Speed One at with innovative hollistic approaches and combined Kings Cross and Stratford and Crossrail which is creating infrastructure building where, for example, both housing new housing and public spaces in neighborhoods such as and transport are part of the same strategic scheme. Woolwich and Old Oak Common. increased global mobility automation The global population is more mobile than ever before as Population growth places great demand on public a result of the decreased cost of flying and the growth of services, increasing the need for efficiency in their delivery. a global middle class. It is estimated that around 8 million Automation is an effective way of reaching optimum people fly around the world every day with over 3 billion operation and management of infrastructure, reducing people annualy according to IATA. Airports and aviation human error and enabling 24/7 operations. London already infrastructure around the world has significantly increased has numerous established autonomous systems including its capacity with the emergance of large aviation hubs in the 34km long Docklands Light Railway, the Heathrow POD places such as Dubai and Beijing which are already busier and the future introduction of the Greenwich PRT (Personal than Heathrow airport. Rapid Transit). global competitiveness air pollution & wellbeing London is often considered a global capital and financial Air pollution is one of the world’s leading causes of centre with a concentration of numerous businesses premature death and decreased quality of life. In London and opportunities. However, this title does not come alone, approximately 9,500 die annualy as a direct result unchallenged with numerous cities around the world such of air pollution according to research by Kings College as New York and Frankfurt constantly offering convenient London. Transport is responsible for over half of air connectivity and attractive incentives for business and pollution with fumes and particulates being released from workers. In order for London to remain a global force, it will ground vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses as well as require constant innovation, increased convenience and from aviation. As a result the two most polluted areas of expansion of its public services and infrastructure. London are the West End and Heathrow. 8 the current proposals Heathrow three-runway proposal Gatwick two-runway proposal We believe none of the proposals put forward are forward-thinking enough. These proposals may address the immediate pressures on our aviation capacity, however, they will not solve our problems in the long term. The Airports Commission was set up as an independent body to analyse current airport capacity in South East England and