MSP also is one of several US airports that stand out for its continued expansion of hearing loops; the unique sound system broadcasts local announcements from throughout most of the departure areas directly to passengers’ hearing aids.
Trials and prototypes of emerging innovations in autonomous personal vehicles like PriestmanGoode’s Geo, DAAV, and Whill Autonomous Service are also a growing area of focus. While each solution varies in its design, these self-driving mobility services aim to use technologies like artificial intelligence and geolocation to help passengers throughout the terminal and toward their gate—and also opening up access to the shops and restaurants that conventional wheelchair mobility services may bypass.
“At some airports, a shortage of staff has led to up to three [passengers in] wheelchairs pushed simultaneously by a single individual,” says Weston, who adds that new solutions like the Geo have the potential to “provide autonomy for passengers and reduce the long and often stressful time of waiting for an operations staff person.” Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Canada’s Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport are two of the airports to launch self-driving vehicles in the past year.
Building a new terminal around universal design principles
Individual technologies, of course, are only useful if they’re holistically incorporated into an airport’s overall terminal design, says Kelly Bacon, principal and global practice lead at AECOM, a leading Dallas-based infrastructure consulting firm. “Simply building new solutions is not enough,” Bacon says. “These solutions need to be thoughtful, intentional, and distributed throughout to be effective.”
For this reason, Van Horn calls on airports that are hiring architects and engineers for major expansion projects to ensure that “each design team has a dedicated member focusing just on universal design.”
Coined by pioneering accessibility-focused architect Ronald Mace, universal design refers to a comprehensive approach to building innovative spaces that are as inclusive as possible of everyone regardless of disability, age, neurodivergence, and other factors. And one major airport project shows what some of these principles look like in action.
The redevelopment of Kansas City International Airport, which opened this February, began with an official city resolution calling for the terminal to become “the most accessible in the world.” To answer that brief, architects at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill consulted a diverse cohort of advocacy and community groups [any examples to include?].
The early results at the new MCI terminal show promise: Every check-in and information desk is at wheelchair accessible heights. All-gender restrooms are more inclusive not only of trans and gender-expansive travelers, but people with disabilities who travel with caregivers. Universal changing tables accommodate children and adults. For neurodivergent travelers, a sensory room creates a calming space and a multimedia travel simulation room helps them prepare for every phase of the journey from security to even boarding a retired Airbus plane. Travelers with service animals will find relief areas throughout.
Andrea Edelman
Emerging technologies could make security less intrusive
One less obvious way designers can get deeper insights into where the status quo is failing travelers: monitoring their stress levels. “Arup has been doing research into the emotional responses of passengers as they traverse the airport system, using feedback from modified smart watches,” explains Weston. Her team tracks indicators like heart rate and breathing patterns. And for many, anxieties tend to peak going through passport and security checks, especially for certain groups such as neurodivergent travelers.
