Local government going offside? The gap between planning and implementation of sport development projects

Abstract Our study explores public strategies for planning professional sport facilities, proposing a conceptual framework that distinguishes the scale of the planned facility and the scope of the land-use plan. Based on interviews, planning documents, site visits, aerial images and building permits we compare plans and their implementation in five Israeli cities, identifying two approaches: a business approach, that addresses actual demand (Tel Aviv and Sakhnin), and a large scale and scope approach expected to generate new demand through increased supply, viewing the facility as an anchor for a broader land-use plan and development agenda. Cities hence either opted for economically and socially meaningful yet small scale and narrow scope options, or for politically rewarding wide scale and scope plans. The former strategies were fully implemented whereas the latter led to a large scale but limited scope, contributing little to broader urban goals and seemingly representing municipal failure. The alternative of a smaller facility that conforms to demand with a wider scope of development has not been considered.