Denver International Airport would not exist without partnerships. In the coming decades, if the airport city is to thrive, DEN must nurture existing partnerships and go on to develop more.

In the 1980s, the city of Denver worked together with the business community to champion a new airport. Then, Denver partnered with adjacent Adams County, achieving consensus among residents of both to allow Denver to annex almost 14,000 hectares of Adams County land for the new airport.

During the development phase collaboration and methodical planning will be key to protecting the airport and its ability to grow further. The concern is that if the region does not plan carefully and allows houses to be built next to the airport's borders, it will lose its land advantage and be prevented from building more runways.

DEN's aerotropolis will develop over the coming decades in Denver, but also in Adams and Arapahoe counties and in several neighbouring cities. As it proceeds with a new master plan, DEN will collaborate with all these neighbours so that growth is not haphazard, but coordinated. Projects that border the airport will have to complement the airport and not hinder plans for additional runways, so as not to reduce Denver International's potential.

One of DEN's neighbouring cities, Commerce City, has asked the airport to be part of its master planning process.

"These cities and counties understand DEN's economic value and are looking to the airport to lead planning," says Day, "and to help select compatible land uses for a vast undeveloped area that will become our airport city."