Taiwan's MOTC uses the analogy of a fried egg when explaining how the aerotropolis will evolve and be administered.
The expanded airport is likened to the egg yolk. This inner core, to be managed by a newly established airport company, will consist of aeronautical infrastructure and commercial facilities directly related to the airport, such as terminal-based retail, offices, hotels, air cargo and logistics services.
The outer ring (or egg white), which is being planned by Taoyuan County, will house commerce and industry whose activities depend heavily on the airport. These would include facilities, such as trade and exhibition complexes, time critical light manufacturing and medical tourism.
Looking more closely, the Taoyaun Aerotropolis consists of its multimodal core and approximately 4,150 surrounding hectares divided into seven functional zones.
In laying out the seven outside the fence areas, Taoyuan County planners focused on ensuring the highest and best land use leveraging through proximity to the airport as well as connectivity to the gateway and the broader region.
To the immediate south of the airport are two aviation-related industrial zones. A 670-hectare aviation industry area will be geared to aerospace equipment design and manufacturing, aviation equipment repair and air logistics services - plus a possible aviation-training centre.
The 1,345-hectare Airport- Related Industry Zone (which also has a portion northwest of TTIA) is designated for aviation research and development (R&D), in-flight service industries, air sports and the leisure industry, not to mention car rental and parking, among other traditional services related to the airport.
The 490-hectare Trade and Exhibition Area already hosts an international convention centre with future hotels, shopping, entertainment and office buildings planned. This zone is further leveraged by a highspeed rail station and a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station - the latter will connect to the airport.
A Refined Agriculture Development Area, consisting of 460 hectares on the airport's southwest periphery, is planned as an agricultural produce distribution centre. Auction centres, as well as an agri-business technology R&D centre, are similarly proposed for the area. North of TTIA, a 360-hectare Coastal Recreation Zone is planned hosting marinas, water sports facilities, fish markets, plus indoor and outdoor water parks.
Incentives will be provided to encourage investment in these, as well as associated hotels with conference facilities, vacation homes, restaurants and shopping precincts. To the east, a 155-hectare FTZ will be established to leverage the Farglory FTZ and the extended airport Free Trade Zone. Included in this zone will be automated warehouse and distribution centres, trade centres and time critical light manufacturing.
To provide good residential facilities and minimise commute times, a number of quality living areas totalling nearly 700 hectares are planned for various sections of the aerotropolis. These will be designed as sustainable living communities based on the ethos of balancing life, neighbourhood, work and ecology.
Aerotropolis quality living areas will also have mixed-use services, such as shopping malls, restaurants, libraries and schools.
At present, the outside the fence aerotropolis zones are primarily conceptual and will be developed as economic demand and market opportunities arise. For example, in the Airport- Related Industrial Zone, planned to the northwest of the airport, it is possible that some portions outside the airport's noise contours could support a significant 'health port', made up of clinics to serve medical tourism and wellness centres. Given Taiwan's leading position in microelectronics and information and communications technology (ICT) exports, air cargo and logistics are major components of TTIA and will be even more so in the future.
In addition to planned cargo facilities expansion by China Airlines and Eva Airways, Farglory Holdings has already invested over $150 million in completing Phase I of its Free Trade Zone logistics complex. The complex, operating under a 50-year Build, Operate Transfer (BOT) concession, includes the world's largest single-story automated air cargo terminal, a value-added logistics park (two buildings) and international distribution express warehouse and support facilities.
