The Stadium/Arena Monitoring Project (StAMP)

About the project

 The professional sport industry is one of the largest in the United States. With new leagues emerging existing leagues expanding and relocating teams, new professional sports facilities are constantly being built. As the sport industry rapidly tries to meet consumer demands, many of us are left wondering about the consequences of these new sports facilities. When the Oakland Athletics move to Las Vegas, how will it increase demands on limited desert resources, like water? If the Chicago Bears leave Soldier Field, where will they move, and will local residents be priced out of their neighborhoods because of it? When the Arizona Coyotes move to Salt Lake City, how much will they help the economy? Essentially, what impact do these stadiums have on communities?

We already have a wealth of information out there to help us answer those questions. Unfortunately, accessing that information can be difficult, as much of it is paywalled or was not intended to be a tool for community advocacy. This project hopes to make that information more accessible so as many people as possible can learn more about this growing trend and form opinions for themselves.

Read on to learn how to use the map to the left, and keep scrolling down to find open-access articles about the issue and learn how you can get involved with sports stadium decisions in your community!

How to use the map



Why Barclays Center?

While this project will include numerous different stadiums and arenas, we chose Barclays Center as our first arena to profile here. Why is that?


To read more about Barclays Center, check out these links:



What will a new sports stadium do for the economy?

Summary Source type Link
A short video breaking down the history and statistics of publicly subsidized sports stadiums with a focus on how much taxpayers spend. YouTube video by Vox Why do taxpayers pay billions for football stadiums
Gives a general overview about if and how sports stadiums help the economy. Published in 2001. Article from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Should Cities Pay for Sports Facilities
Talks about why sport organizations ask for subsidies, what the legal process is, and what citizens can do to take action. Published in 1997. Commentary Sports, Jobs, & Taxes: Are New Stadiums Worth the Cost?
Reviews some facts about subsidizing sports stadiums and how they impact the economy. Published in 2023. Website article Stadiums as Public Investments
A resource guide by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library listing more readings about sports stadiums, economics, and public subsidy. Published in 2022. Library guide Financing Professional Sports Facilities
Sports economics professor, Brad Humphreys, gives a talk about the pros and cons of subsidizing sports stadiums, including history, definitions, and statistics. Published in 2019. YouTube video from Johns Hopkins University Caught Stealing? The pros and cons of subsidies for professional sports facilities
Presents statistics about how much money and jobs publicly subsidized sports stadiums create. Published in . Berkley Economic Review The Economics of Sports Stadiums: Does public financing of sports stadiums create local economic growth, or just help billionaires improve their profit margin?


What will happen to my neighborhood with a new sports stadium?

Summary Source type Link
Discusses how the stadiums built for the Olympic Games in Atlanta affected the local communities. Published in 1999. Academic article Neighborhood impacts of Atlanta's Olympic Games
Residents and activists who once pushed back against Barclays Center discuss what the stadium has become since it has been ten years since its creation. Published in 2012. News article - New York Times Opponents of Atlantic Yards Are Exhausted by a Long, Losing Battle
Discusses how professional sport teams have paid for improvements to the neighborhoods that they move into. Published in 2022. News article - Investigative Post How a stadium can benefit the community
Reviews different ways that sports stadiums are keeping the environment in mind and trying to lower their environmental footprint. Blog Post - The Sustainability Report Can sports venues have a positive impact on the natural environment?
Breaks down what the economic and real estate data mean for local community members. News article - Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment The Housing Impacts of Sports Stadiums




Satellite timelapse

 To the left is a brief satellite imagery timelapse of Barclays Center. It ranges from 2005, which is well before the stadium's construction, which was completed in 2012, to 2019.

Note the changes in space usage, what is empty before the stadium and what is occupied. If you might experience a sports stadium moving into your neighborhood, consider what space is occupied and what is unoccupied. How will land be cleared? Do you think it is a better use of space than what is already there?


What do communities have to say about the sports stadiums built in their neighborhoods?

Summary Source Link
Jessica Xiao talks about how Capital One Arena and COVID-19 impacted Washington D.C.'s Chinatown News article - AsAmNews Incredibly shrinking DC Chinatown struggles to survive
Community members share their thoughts about a new proposed stadium. News article - Philly Voice With 76ers new stadium, is Philly's Chinatown destined for the same fate as Washington, D.C. neighborhood?
A news article describing a press conference by community leaders answering questions about a potential stadium being built in their neighborhood News article - KRQE News Barelas community leaders hold press conference ahead of United Stadium bond vote
Community members share their thoughts about the proposed site of a new minor league soccer stadium in their neighborhood. News article - KRQE News Neighbors concerned over proposed NM United stadium locations


What can I do to make my thoughts heard?