ABSTRACT
Cities across the United States increasingly turn to culture industries as a way to revitalize their urban cores and re-image themselves to both residents and prospective visitors. It is expected that this strategy will differentiate cities, bringing about widespread economic benefits at a time of intense inter-city competition. This essay examines how professional sports fit this dynamic and specifically discusses the important role that stadium development plays in advancing a related public-policy agenda. By reviewing the plans for four stadium-development projects in Chicago, this contribution reveals the complexities of these practices, which rarely consider the impact on the neighbourhoods themselves. The unanticipated outcomes of these processes are often shaped by race, class, varying political actors and community organizations.
