Sustainable Stadia Actualizing the Potential of Community- Owned Stadia Towards Sustainability

Abstract: Professional sporting events draw staggering crowds to stadia on a yearly basis. This combined, with the prosocial psychological effects of attending professional games and the cultural meaning of stadia to a community, provide excellent opportunities for municipalities to use their stadia in a movement towards global socio-ecological sustainability. While these opportunities are available, the industry is not well established to realize their potential. Our research, through application of the framework for strategic sustainable development (FSSD), offers measures to facilitate such a move. In application of the framework, however, a key threat of professional team monopoly power was identified, putting into question the perpetuation of public ownership over facilities with professional teams as tenants. If a solution is to be reached within this model, a multi-stakeholder approach is endorsed, where reduction of team monopoly power is conceded for the long-term benefits to municipalities.