Sport and Economic Regeneration in Cities

Abstract

Investment in sporting infrastructure in cities over the past 20 years was not primarily aimed at getting the local community involved in sport, but was instead aimed at attracting tourists, encouraging inward investment and changing the image of the city. The first example of this new strategy was seen in Sheffield with the investment of £147 million in sporting facilities to host the World Student Games of 1991. More recently, Manchester spent over £200 million on sporting venues in order to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, with a further £470 million expenditure on other non-sport infrastructure investment in Sportcity in east Manchester. In the British context, most of the cities following this strategy of using sport for economic regeneration have been industrial cities, not normally known as major tourist destinations. The drivers of such policies were the need for a new image and new employment opportunities caused by the loss of their conventional industrial base. This article analyses the justification for such investments in sport in cities and assesses the evidence for the success of such strategies.

From 'Event-led' to 'Event-themed' Regeneration: The 2002 Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme

“…This research identified an associated increase of £22 million in turnover for local companies and 6,300 new jobs for the Manchester area. Whilst seemingly impressive, these positive impacts need to be assessed against the £670 million capital investment in new sporting venues, transport and other infrastructure (Gratton et al, 2005). A further impact study was carried out for the North West Development Agency in 2004 (Faber Maunsell, 2004).…”

Dislocation and Uncertainty in East Manchester: The Legacy of the Commonwealth Games

“…Gratton et al (2005) point out that evaluations of the economic impact of such events are always highly speculative as they lack hard evidence. Critical urban scholars are highly sceptical about the economic impact of show case events, like the Games.…”

“…In the 1990s, Regional Development Agencies took responsibility for economic regeneration which led to sport being looked on as a catalyst for regional economic development (Gratton et al 2005).The Olympic bid was a pivotal moment in the regeneration process as it combined plans for new sporting facilities and the regeneration of the surrounding residential neighbourhoods. The Olympics were seen as the 'ultimate expression' of place-marketing which could 'drive change in' and overcome the perceived problems in the area (Cochrane 1996(Cochrane :1330.…”

“…After the reported success of the Commonwealth Games, sports events are increasingly seen as part of a broader tourism strategy and to city planners, major events, if successful, have the ability to project a new image or identity for a city (Gratton et al 2005). Legacy is commonly associated with a wide range of outcomes, from the physical elements including sporting infrastructure and urban or environmental development through to wider socio-economic improvements such as enhancing skills and workforce development, community relations and social capital (Davies 2012).…”

“…The sporting event would bring worldwide attention and investment to the city and offer a unique opportunity to kick start social regeneration, transforming the fortunes of some of Manchester's poorest neighbourhoods. The Games were the first major sporting event which involved a strategic framework for the regeneration of the city (Gratton et al 2005). The Legacy Programme was introduced to ensure that the event was 'more than ten days of sport' and to guarantee that disadvantaged communities throughout the North West of England would benefit from Manchester hosting the event.…”