Urban Stadia: Integrating Stadium Design with Mixed-Use Building Tactics to Rejuvenate an Urban Neighborhood

Abstract

Sporting stadiums impact the socio-economic capabilities in all of the areas in which they exist. Some have a good impact, they are able to fully integrate into the urban environment and benefit the area through areas such as economics, walkability, transportation, etc. But there are many that do not accomplish this. They essentially become enormous concrete structures that are surrounded by thousands of asphalt-laden parking spaces and they only end up serving the community on the days in which the sporting team plays, usually once or twice a week. What if the same tactics we are using to rejuvenate our downtown areas can serve a bigger part in getting one of the most expensive typologies in this world back on track? With this thesis, I look to delve into just what type of impact a stadium will have on an urban environment, when combined with mixed-use building tactics.