This volume takes readers inside the high-stakes game of public-private partnerships for major league sports facilities, explaining why some cities made better deals than others, assessing the best practices and common pitfalls in deal structuring and facility leases, as well as highlighting important differences across markets, leagues, facility types, public actors, subsidy delivery mechanisms, and urban development aspirations. It concludes with speculations about the next round of facility replacement amidst rapid changes in broadcast technology, shrinking domestic audiences, and the globalization of sport.

Contents

1. Introduction: Cities, Sports Facilities, and Public/Private Partnerships 2. Moving Towards Partnership: Public Participation in Financing Major League Sports Facilities, 1900-2010 3. Full Count: A Model for Estimating Public Costs in Sports Facility Deals 4. Uncounted Costs and Unequal Partnerships: The Real Cost of Public Funding for Major League Sports Facilities. 5. A League of Their Own: Public Participation in Sports Facility Deals Across MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS 6. Who’s on First? The Changing Composition of Partners and Funding Sources in Major League Sports Facility Deals 7. Making Better Deals: Learning from Public/Private Partnerships for Major League Sports Facilities.

Author Bio

Judith Grant Long is Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Director of the Urban Planning Program at Harvard Graduate School of Design.