Weekly Comment
I spent the weekend catching up with several friends, one of whom is currently involved in managing the construction of a new airport. During our gathering, we had a lively discussion about the future of our city’s airports.
My city has a unique setup—the existing airport sits in the heart of the urban area, no more than 10 kilometers from any of the main districts. This ideal location has long made travel remarkably convenient for residents. However, this very location has become a constraint on the airport’s growth: for the past decade, the airport has been running at full capacity, with little room to open new routes. Meanwhile, dense residential zones surrounding the airport limit its runway classification and potential expansions.
The new airport under construction is the largest offshore airport in the world. It promises a higher runway classification, greater operational capacity, and a fully planned airport economic zone, incorporating logistics, warehousing, and other complementary facilities. From a strategic urban development perspective, the significance of this new airport is undoubtedly monumental.
Still, despite the fact that the new airport’s distance to the city center is noticeably shorter compared to other airports of similar scale, it’s undeniably farther out than the current setup—making many frequent flyers uneasy. They look forward to the growth opportunities the new airport could bring, yet they also wish to preserve the old airport’s convenience.
Ten years ago, when I used to fly dozens of times a year, I absolutely would have supported keeping the old airport. But as my flight frequency has gone down, I now firmly back the government’s decision to close the old airport and fully develop the new one. This shift in my perspective has been particularly enlightening.
Our perspectives often depend on where we find ourselves. As developers, we hope users will understand a product’s shortcomings and grant us time and space to improve it. But when we switch to the user’s viewpoint, we naturally expect a flawless product experience.
Perhaps this constant role-switching and the resulting collision of perspectives is precisely what drives continuous product improvement and industry advancement. If we, as developers, regularly step into our users’ shoes during development, our products will likely become more aligned with user needs, more responsive to their concerns, and ultimately help guide the entire industry toward a better future.
Recent Selections
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Swift’s Hidden Gem: Understanding the @retroactive Keyword
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Concurrency Step-by-Step: Stateful Systems
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Getting Started with MongoDB in Swift using MongoKitten
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