Why do we love and hate airports at the same time? Have you been a victim of tiresome walks
congestion long lines invasive pat-downs eternal delays and so on? Perhaps no other
technological system has been challenged by continuously changing paradigms like airports.
Think a minute on rail stations think of how successful are the rail networks of the world in
connecting nations with just minimum security measures. Why aviation and airports are so
radically different in this regard?In order to answer those questions the author embarks on a
thorough revision of airport history and airport planning that in the end builds up a new
theory about how airports are formed from the outset. Within its journey from the early
airfield to the newest hubs of today Dr. Marquez identifies for the first time the
Landside-Airside boundary as the single most important feature that shapes an airport. In this
sense his finding challenges the historical linearity that until today used toexplain a
century of airports.From both an analytical and theoretical S&TS stance Dr. Marquez assures
that it is only when airports needed to be fully reinvented (LaGuardia Dulles and Tampa) when
they become transparent and we may be able to understand their lack of technological stability.
