Contact:
Keesha L. Coleman, 404-413-1318
Project coordinator and communications manager, Office of the Provost
ATLANTA — John D. Kasarda, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Strategy and director of the Center for Air Commerce at the University of North Carolina, will speak about urban growth, and particularly the roles of aviation and airports in shaping 21st century metropolitan areas, on Nov. 16 as part of the University Speaker Series at Georgia State University.
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| John D. Kasarda |
The talk, sponsored in conjunction with the Atlanta Regional Commission, will be held at 1 p.m. in the Speakers Auditorium of the university’s Student Center at 44 Courtland St. The event is free and open to the public.
In his speech, “The Aerotropolis: Creating Atlanta’s Competitive Advantage,” Kasarda will explain the fundamentals and economic drivers of the aerotropolis, then take the audience on a visual tour of emerging aerotropolis developments around the world. The session is the fourth in a series of forums focused on topics important to the university’s strategic plan, this one on the theme of the challenges of cities.
Chief architect and proponent of the aerotropolis, Kasarda said that by implementing this model Atlanta will be positioned to attract greater investment and create additional jobs for those at all socioeconomic levels by synergizing the airport area, the city and the region.
"The true challenge is planning to get the aerotropolis right,” he said. “If there is not appropriate planning, airport-area development will be spontaneous, haphazard, economically inefficient and ultimately unsustainable. The aerotropolis model brings together airport planning, urban and regional planning, and business-site planning, to create a new urban form that is highly competitive, attractive and sustainable.
“Airports will play an increasingly pivotal role in the competitiveness of this country. If we continue to neglect our airports, we do so at our own long-term economic peril. This is the invisible market shaping your life.”
Kasarda obtained his bachelor’s and master of business administration degrees (with distinction) from Cornell University and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. He has offered numerous workshops on urban development, logistics infrastructure and global supply-chain management. He chairs the Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition, and is an adviser to airports around the world. He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his research on airport-driven economic development.
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Georgia State’s strategic plan sets the university’s course for the next decade and beyond. The goals include becoming a national model for undergraduate education; strengthening and growing distinctive graduate and professional programs; becoming a leading public research university; becoming a leader in understanding the challenges of cities; and achieving distinction in globalizing the university.
For more about GSU’s strategic plan, visit http://strategic.gsu.edu.
Nov. 12, 2012