page_title: Skyway
hierarchical_section_title: Skyway
caption_attribution_description: English: A Chinese mid-Eastern-Han Dynasty (25&#8211;220 CE) ceramic architectural model of a fortified multistory manor house with a covered bridge extended to a smaller watchtower. This model was excavated by archaeologists in 1993 from an Eastern-Han tomb at Jiazuo, Henan Province, China. The main building is 192 cm tall, and has a courtyard with gate-towers, an exterior stairway leading from the courtyard to the front balcony of the first level, and four sets of rooftops. This information is taken from: Guo, Qinghua. (2005). Chinese Architecture and Planning: Ideas, Methods, and Techniques. Stuttgart and London: Edition Axel Menges. ISBN&#160;3932565541. This artifact is now located in the Henan Provincial Museum, Zhengzhou, China; from collection posted at www.GaryLeeTodd.com by Dr. Gary L. Todd, Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, China.
context_page_description: A skyway, skybridge, or skywalk is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclosed or covered footbridges that protect pedestrians from the weather. Open-top modern skyways in mountains now often have glass bottoms. Sometimes enclosed urban skywalks are made almost totally from glass, including ceilings, walls and floors. Also, some urban skyways function strictly as linear parks designed for walking.
  In North America skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces. However, in Asia, such as Bangkok's and Hong Kong's skywalks, they are built and owned separately by the city government, connecting between privately run rail stations or other transport with their own footbridges, and run many kilometers. Skyways usually connect on the first few floors above the ground-level floor, though they are sometimes much higher, as in Petronas Towers. The space in the buildings connected by skyways is often devoted to retail business, so areas around the skyway may operate as a shopping mall.
context_section_description: A skyway, skybridge, or skywalk is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclosed or covered footbridges that protect pedestrians from the weather. Open-top modern skyways in mountains now often have glass bottoms. Sometimes enclosed urban skywalks are made almost totally from glass, including ceilings, walls and floors. Also, some urban skyways function strictly as linear parks designed for walking.
  In North America skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces (compare with sidewalk). However, in Asia, such as Bangkok's and Hong Kong's skywalks, they are built and owned separately by the city government, connecting between privately run rail stations or other transport with their own footbridges, and run many kilometers. Skyways usually connect on the first few floors above the ground-level floor, though they are sometimes much higher, as in Petronas Towers. The space in the buildings connected by skyways is often devoted to retail business, so areas around the skyway may operate as a shopping mall. Non-commercial areas with closely associated buildings, such as university campuses, can often have skyways and/or tunnels connecting buildings.
  The world's largest discontinuous skyway network – Calgary, Alberta, Canada's "+15 Walkway" system – has a total length of 18 km (11 mi). The Minneapolis Skyway System is the world's largest continuous system and spans 11 miles (18 km) connecting 80 blocks in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
  On a smaller scale, terminals of large airports are often connected by skywalk systems, as at Manchester Airport, United Kingdom; in many airports, retractable jet bridges provide a direct connection between airplanes and terminals.
  Some cities have the equivalent of a skyway underground, and there are also mixed subway/skyway systems; see underground city.
caption: A Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) Chinese miniature model of two residential towers joined by a skyway
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