A sport-anchored development district and densification: A comparative mixed effects analysis

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February 3, 2022
by Ye Lei

Over the past several decades, economic segregation within North American metro areas has increased.

Cities all over North America have tried different policies and programs to make neighborhoods more diverse in order to solve and stop segregation, suburbanization, and the uneven distribution of wealth.

In a recent study, Dr. Jakar and colleagues looked at how Canadian cities can redistribute wealth by improving areas near city centers.

The city of Edmonton, Alberta, created three different tax-raising districts (three different infrastructure investments), including one that is centered around an arena, to deal with the growing wealth in the suburbs. Those three economic development programs, known as Community Revitalization Levies (CRLs), are like TIF (tax increment financing) districts in the United States. They were implemented within a short period in the same city, with the same goal, but different designs.

To analyze property development throughout Edmonton, the research team collected the annual data from 2012 to 2020 through the online Edmonton open data portal and utilized a unique geographical technique.

Results of this study suggest that the large infrastructure project, which was led by a multi-purpose arena and included a number of mixed-use constructions, helped the prosperity of downtown Edmonton and the surrounding area.

This study’s technique can also be applied to other regions. City policymakers and practitioners can use this knowledge to solve segregation concerns.

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Read the full article here:

Jakar, G. S., Carr, J., & Rosentraub, M. S. (2022). A sport-anchored development district and densification: A comparative mixed effects analysis. Land Use Policy, 121, 106311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106311 

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