The Singapore government decided to focus on the country’s specialisation in business and
trade industries, as well as the good connection between water- and air-based transportation.
Therefore, they selected the Aerotropolis Model for the development of its airport region.
Since Singapore is a city-state with the very small area of 700 km2, the whole area of the
country has been planned to facilitate the Aerotropolis status. The national economy relies
mainly on international trade and business. A new terminal (Terminal 3) is scheduled to open
78 THE COMPETITIVENESS OF AIRPORT REGIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA : The Lesson from Two Arch Rivals in Europe
on 2008 and Terminal 1 and 2 will be renovated. Changi Airport was built with ground
transportation considerations in mind from the onset, with the East Coast Parkway built and
opened in tendem with the airport, providing a direct link to the city center. At a distance
of about 20 kilometers, the expressway was built almost entirely on reclaimed land, thus
minimising disruptions to the existing road network on Singapore’s East Coast.