Designs have been unveiled to turn Heathrow into a ‘City’ after architects were commissioned by Transport for London and backed by Mayor Boris Johnson.
The architecture plans includes turning the airport site into 190,000 new homes, parkland or even a factory.
Mr Johnson, who supports a Thames Estuary hub airport, said Heathrow redevelopment was needed to supply the demand for homes.
The government-appointed Airports Commission will decide in 2015 on whether an estuary airport is feasible.
Mr Johnson said: "The demand for new homes and jobs in the capital is such that we must be ready to start redeveloping Heathrow the moment it moves to its new site. And the sooner we start planning the better.
"However the key point is that all these scenarios would potentially create some of the many thousands of new jobs and homes this city will require given London is expected to increase in size by a fifth within the next 15 years."
