It turns out that handing over taxpayer dollars to billionaire owners tends to be far less popular among regular citizens than among well-connected government officials.
Saturday’s soccer match was afflicted by a deadly cocktail of a stadium packed to the brim, violent fans and the use of tear gas by police. Here’s how the disaster could have been avoided.
Study after study has shown that stadiums are terrible public investments. Taxpayers rarely want to pay for them. So why do governments keep subsidizing them?
The main sporting venues in Australian capitals have had an upgrade in recent times, with the notable exception of Sydney, where leaders seem mired in indecision and political bickering.
As the contentious Sydney Football Stadium redevelopment shows, Australians want their sports grounds to be of benefit to the whole community, not just sports fans and the elite.
The Australian Open tennis and the recent Ashes Test cricket series show why our sporting stadiums need to be “climate-proofed” to deal with extreme heat.