How Sports Stadium Can Become Placemaking

 

One of the most exciting developments in urban infrastructure is the upcoming opening of Kai Tak Sports Park in the first quarter of 2025. Located in a prime location of the city, the iconic stadium is expected to inject vitality and viability into the nearby surrounding emerging community of Kai Tak.  As the stadiums are primarily used only on event days, the space is left underutilised for most of the time, and the potential for stadiums to contribute to local social and economic dynamics has not been unleashed.  With the establishment of Kai Tak Sports Park, there is a unique opportunity to reimagine how sports venues can serve as vital connectors within their communities through effective placemaking strategies.  Let’s take a look at some cool (and poor) examples in the world as our references.

22 Cool Urban Stadiums - and some stupid ones

Publisher: Coolville feat.: The Life-Sized City

Recent stadium developments in the United States have increasingly adopted a mixed-use development approach by integrating offices, apartments and commercial facilities near the venues.  At the same time, it has been observed that private developers of stadium projects are more willing to sign legally binding community benefit agreements to gain local support and secure public funding.  This collaborative planning approach—bringing together local communities, city managers, and private developers—ensures that stadium districts, which are often financed partly with public funds, serve the public interest effectively.  Let’s take a look at these examples:

Why Every City Wants a Wrigley Field

Publisher: Stewart Hicks

The Rise of the Stadium District

Publisher: City Beautiful

How a Stadium can Benefit the Community

Publisher:  Investigative Post

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