Geography of a Sports Metropolis

Gabriel Ahlfeldt and Arne Feddersen

No 802, IASE Conference Papers from International Association of Sports Economists

Abstract: This study analyses the sports infrastructure of Hamburg, Germany, from the residents’ perspective. Empirical evidence is provided for the Sports Place Theory developed by BALE (2003) using a micro-level dataset of 1,319 sports facilities, which is merged with highly disaggregated data on population, socio-demographic characteristics and land values. In line with the theory, small and medium facilities on average are found to have catchment areas ranging from 1,000 to 2,500m. Similarly, large facilities carry out services within an area of up to 5,000m. Based on implicit travel costs, locations’ endowment of sports infrastructure is captured by potentiality variables, while accounting for natural and unnatural barriers. Given potential demand, central areas are found to be relatively underprovided with a sports infrastructure compared to peripheral areas where opportunity cost in the form of price of land is lower. The determinants of spatial distribution vary systematically across types of sports fcilities. Publicly provided open sports fields and sport halls tend to be concentrated in areas of relativelylow income which is in line with their social infrastructure character, emphasized by local authorities. In contrast, there is a clear tendency for market allocated tennis facilities to follow purchasing power. Areas with higher proportions of foreigners are subject to relatively lower provision of a sports infrastructure, which contradicts the stated ambitions of planning authorities. To meet the implicit call for action, detailed maps of relative supply indicating privileged and disadvantaged areas offer useful guidance.

Keywords: Sports Facilities; Sports Geography; Public Infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H4 L83 R53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2008-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-spo and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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http://web.holycross.edu/RePEc/spe/AhlfeldtFeddersen_SportGeography.pdf Paper presented at the 10th annual IASE Conference in Gijón, Spain, May 2008 (application/pdf)
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Related works:
Working Paper: Geography of a sports metropolis (2010)
Working Paper: Geography of a Sports Metropolis (2008)
Working Paper: Geography of a Sports Metropolis (2007)
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