STADIUMS AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE PLANS OF DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

摘要

The positive economic effects that South Africa was hoping for from the 2010 FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association, the World Football Association) World Cup stood in contrast to almost all statistical ex-post studies. This paper is the first to empirically examine whether such sober findings also apply (1) in the case of a developing nation, like South Africa, with a lower density of sports facilities and (2) in cases where a city's planners consciously try to achieve positive regional economic effects. The case of Durban, South Africa, and its plans for a "signature" stadium is used to discuss the issues of stadium design and their embedding in a re-urbanization process in an attempt to achieve positive regional economic effects. The analysis of data from a survey of Durban residents shows that they expected positive regional impacts from their "landmark" stadium. We also find statistical evidence that net positive external economic effects were unequally distributed across space in the Durban region, indicating negative external proximity effects of the stadium.