Read more
Across the nation, stadiums and sports centers are a vital aspect of urban redevelopment. How do these projects affect the communities near the new facilities? Focusing on the controversies surrounding three major Chicago projects--the United Center, Comiskey Park, and lighting Wrigley Field--
It's Hardly Sportin' suggests fresh ways for cities to coordinate the expansion of sports facilities with neighborhood life.
Shared interest in the home team's triumphs and tragedies can unify a city. But when disputes arise over new and improved sports stadiums, who wins and who loses at the neighborhood level? Using Chicago as a case study, Spirou and Bennett show what happens to neighborhoods when cities use sports as a strategy for revitalization. They argue that stadiums serve as effective tools for urban revitalization only if community organizations and local conditions are closely involved in the planning process. Offering provocative insights into the challenges of contemporary urban economic development,
It's Hardly Sportin' calls attention to the crucial role of sports centers in American culture.
List of contents
Table of Contents
Illustrations and Maps
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Sports-Driven Urban Redevelopment in Chicago and Beyond
2. From Urban Renewal to the City of Leisure
3. The New Comiskey Park
4. Rebuilding Comiskey Park
5. Bringing Light to Wrigley Field
6. Lake View
7. Redeveloping the Near West Side
8. Stadium Development, Three Neighborhoods, and Urban Revitalization
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Costas Spirou is Associate Professor and Chair of Social Science at National-Louis University. Larry Bennett is Professor of Political Science at DePaul University.
Summary
Across America, stadiums and sports centres have become an increasingly important aspect of urban redevelopment action. This study looks at examples in Chicago and the effects on the community there, and suggests ways of involving communities for more successful modernization.
