Every sports tourism professional thinks the connections between his or her city and its sports teams are powerful ones. Now, the new Sport and Urban Policy Initiative (SUPI) at Georgia State University seeks to prove them right. Hopefully.
A research arm of the Atlanta-based university’s Department of Kinesiology and Health, SUPI states its intent to serve “as a forum for scientific study of the ways in which sport (including youth, amateur, recreational, collegiate, professional, and international) interacts with, contributes to, and interferes with urban spaces.” Its research is expected to primarily focus on stadiums and development, environmental sustainability and community engagement.
As Athletic Business magazine recently noted, “perhaps the center’s most resourceful information is … Stadiatrack, which has compiled data on new stadiums and arenas from the past 15 years. Data includes how much public funding each venue has received, public voting results and certification levels of LEED-certified sports facilities.”
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