Renewed landscapes: Obsolete airfields as landscape reserves for adaptive reuse

Over the past century, the world has built thousands of airports and airfields, which has had a significant impact on the landscape. Given the history of the rapid growth of air travel, but also due to the expansion of cities, many airports have become obsolete. Many have been abandoned, either because they are too small, in the wrong place, or because of the functional obsolescence of the structures. Landscape architects have engaged in the transformation of airports, mitigating and remediating the adverse environmental impacts as well as designing new landscapes. This article explores relevant projects that conceive airfields as renewed landscapes through four strategies: transform, recycle, regenerate, and on-hold. These operative strategies could help to reimagine and redesign the redevelopment of airport sites with a diverse range of scenarios.