The protests against Trump's travel ban could change how America designs airports

In late January, tens of thousands of Americans in over 80 airports protested Trump's first travel ban, which would have temporarily barred refugees and immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries. (Two federal judges blocked Trump's second iteration of the ban on March 15.)

Crowds rallied in parking garages and overflowed the sidewalks, holding signs with messages like "Refugees are welcome here" and "We <3 our Muslim neighbors." Though airports were the natural locations for the nationwide protests, there wasn't much public space for them.

The protests, which gained widespread media attention, may spark a wider conversation within the architecture community about the future of airport design, says

The protests "were something that, as airport and urban designers, we have not planned on," Askew tells Business Insider. "Accommodating crowds that are not at the airport to fly may be a new criteria for our new design projects."

"I think it ends up as a political decision for whoever's in power, and whoever we ultimately answer to," he tells BI. "To be honest, I'm not really encouraged by the current administration by any measure to make anything more welcoming. Though, I think obviously we should. That's one of the most symbolic features of airports. They are the welcome and departure points for America."

Most American airports lack sidewalks or any kind of green areas, making them the antithesis of public space, Lindsay says.

"They are the surveillance state before we built the surveillance state," he say. "We're heavily surveilled in airports, and shopping is the only civic activity they want you to do there."

Lindsay and Askew describe a different kind of design philosophy, called "airport urbanism," which has slowly been gaining traction in the US. It's the idea that the airport is not just a lifeless place where you catch your flight. Instead, it's a place that's connected to its city, and includes community spaces that foster civic life, like pedestrian plazas, cafés, and wide sidewalks.

In 2008, Indianapolis International Airport created a $1.1 billion plaza (located before security) with cafés, coffee shops, and a skylight. Denver International Airport has a large outdoor pedestrian plaza that holds regular events pre-security.

Though some American airports have started incorporating public space in their designs, airport urbanism is much more popular abroad, according to John Kasarda, the director of the Center for Air Commerce.

"The US

Additional civic space could enhance the flying experience for both passengers and the surrounding city, Askew says. The attention from the protests in the US "could be a benefit of recognizing airports really are civic places. They really do symbolize our country and the city, and it would only be right to provide more room for people," he says.

Whether airports make space for protests or not, Lindsay is confident that protestors will find it regardless. Afirst gathered in the arrivals hall