Strategic development trend and key factors analysis of Airport City in Taiwan

► This study explores the intelligence and definition of airport cities in Four Asia Tigers. The proposed airport-city model is an effective framework for long term planning of airports. ► This study summarizes thirty key factors and seven trends for airport-city development using grounded theory-based qualitative research. ► A case of Taiwan Taoyuan international airport-city development planning is performed. The main emphasis of planning action is in the effective management of the airport and the mix of, and access to, services on surrounding land. ► Taiwan’s airport currently lags behind other major Asia-Pacific airports, but has the capacity to apply airport-city planning policy to expand and develop its role as an aviation hub. In the past decade, many airports have shifted from being simple transfer ports to logistical transportation hubs and, more recently, into multi-functional airport cities. The emergence of the airport city provides evidence of advanced transportation development of a country or a region, as it serves as the impetus for national industry and a gateway to economic globalization. This paper explores the development trend of airport cities in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore as a basis for analysis of outcomes in Taiwan. Using grounded theory-based qualitative research, this study analyses and conceptualizes thirty key factors and seven trends for airport-city development via interviews with focus groups and experts. These development trends are verified by a contingency analysis with airport cities development intelligence. In addition, this study conducts an industrial matrix analysis and verb-term coding to propose action items for industrial categories in the case of Taiwan Taoyuan international airport.